Multiverse
by Miss-Nami-Shiawase
Summary: A string of AUs, some of my idea, most by prompts. Thanks to SeventhSinner!-I am entirely open to suggestions, so long as it is Kat/Doggie in some way. Some will be within the normal universe with minor tweaks, some will be entirely different. Just my usual, please enjoy, review, be kind, all that jazz.
1. The Cat Came Back

_The Cat Came Back_

"Robert," Kat feels the name ride on the breath that's knocked out of her.

"Katherine," a tall, green eyed man envelops her in his arms without a second thought. His dark brown hair is peppery around the spiky front, while chocolatey speckles stretch from his cheeks inward in two arching lines. His ears are smaller than Kat's but have darker speckles at the ends. His form is just as tall and lithe as hers.

"Wh–what...how..." Kat's words are disjointed as she pats the man's back in natural reaction. A moment later she leans into the embrace a little more, but is still stiff.

"Kat, who's this?"

Kat tears herself from the man's embrace and spins around to her friend dangerously fast. Air dies in her throat several times as her mouth bobs in an attempt to explain. "D–Doggie, um, this is, uh, this is Robert—"

"I'm Kat's husband," the man steps forward, offering his clawed hand. His smile is worn from his time as a survivor but still happy. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," is all Doggie can muster as he shakes the stranger's hand. It takes all his willpower not to break the smaller hand in his largely clawed paw. "You're...Kat's husband?—from Felis?"

"Yes, I escaped from the destruction of our planet to a Unox colony. I had no idea Katherine was alive until just a month ago, so I came as soon as I heard," the man looks at Kat with such adoration that bile builds in Doggie's muzzle.

"Robert, um," Kat begins, but her shaky hands betray her nerves. Her breath is even less stable and her eyes dart about.

Doggie notices her distress and clears his throat, "Robert, I welcome you to Earth, but this is SPD base, and there are procedures regarding guests of long term."

"Of course, you're right," Robert is insufferably cheery and bounces a bit on his heels.

"Come on, Robert, you should see our physician, Doctor Felix," Kat guides him with a stressed hand, sparing an alarmed look to Doggie over her shoulder.

"Oh, Kathy," Robert is too bright to notice Kat's absolute distaste at the name, "I can't believe it's been so long!"

"Hm," Kat muses quietly next to him, going through things a mile a minute in her head.

"I've missed you," Robert leans in for a kiss but Kat jogs a little ahead of him to the infirmary. She pokes her head in and murmurs something Robert can't hear.

"This way," Kat gestures vaguely, still not looking at Robert.

Now, the Felid man notices the odd behavior in his wife. She has been avoiding him, if he really thinks about it. Her eyes are different from how he remembers them...then again, he last saw them in person a good fifty years ago. "Kitty, is there something you're not telling me?"

"Robert, this is Felix, he'll go over things and explain to you how your registration here on base will go," Kat brushes some bangs out of her eyes in a fluster.

"Katherine," Robert tries to call out but she leaves before he can reach her. Instead, he faces a Felid–Leonis man with a small muzzle and scraggy brown hair. "You're a friend of Kat's?"

"I am," the man tilts his head mysteriously.

"What is going on here?" Robert holds his hands out, worried for his wife.

"That's for Kat to decide," Felix answers vaguely and guides Robert to a bed.

Kat herself dashes back to the Command Center in time to catch Doggie walking out. "Oh, thank—Doggie, please, wait."

"It's fine, Kat, you should be with your husband," Doggie manages in a slightly bitter voice, but still remaining fairly impartial.

"Doggie, listen to me," Kat pleads, having to trot a bit to keep pace with his long, angry strides.

"Kat, please, shouldn't you be with your mate?" the final word is spit from his mouth with absolute contempt, rejected from his tongue like poison.

"Doggie!" Kat grabs his arm and spins him around. She steps in close but resists pressing her lips to his, simply because this is a time for words. "Listen to me, you stubborn, old dog. I know that Robert turning up – being alive – is a surprise, but we can handle it."

"Kat, it's okay," Doggie tries to offer the woman – his loving friend and mate of six months – an out.

"Nothing about this is okay because my dead husband is returned and I can barely look at him because my love is solely devoted you," her breath goes into her final tone, pushing with the severity of the situation. Her hardened green eyes meet his sorrowful blue ones, begging him to understand her. Her feelings are torn not because she still loves her husband in a practical sense but because she loves him as Doggie loves (the deceased) Isinia. That is nothing compared to how she loves Doggie himself. "I love _you_."

"Kat," Doggie tries to protest, but neither can deny it, and her eyes make him want wholeheartedly to give her the entire galaxy in a gift box. She tilts her head and crashes her lips against his in blinding hot love and passion. This silences him effectively.

"I love you, stubborn, old dog. Robert doesn't change that. I wish things were different but they aren't. We will figure out how to handle Robert, but his appearance doesn't change the fact that you are my mate...and the love of my life."

Doggie looks at Kat with an intrigued and slightly tweaked expression. She gives him one, solid nod, and he softens. "I hope this isn't too stressful for you, Kat."

"I have missed Robert, but I haven't seen him in a good fifty years or so, and that kind of separation can't be dissolved. I'll find a way to work this out with him but I don't, rather, I won't have you torturing yourself over this. This is an issue between my, as far as I'm concerned, late–husband, and I. I'll come find you when or if I need your help, but until then, leave this to me." Kat is firm in her words and adamant in their meaning. Her eyes are steady again as she looks at her commanding officer. "Don't worry about me, Doggie, I'll be okay."

"Very well," Doggie nods, feeling relieved, not that she has to know that. "I'll leave this matter to you, I trust you to handle it, Kat."

"Thank you," she says sweetly.

"Let me ask you something, though," he smiles a bit now. "He is Robert, and you are Katherine, so, together, you are Bob and Kat—"

"Don't say it!" Kat groans, also finding the lightness of the moment. "We'd get it all the time. Oh, Bob, Kat, Manx?—ha, ha, ha, yes, it's very funny. Y'know, it's bad enough he calls me Kitty, oh, and Kathy?—argh!"

"You don't mind it when I call you Kitty," Doggie teases quietly.

"Well, you're different," Kat returns in an equally hushed tone. "Don't worry, Robert is an easy going guy, and is always very understanding. He won't make a fuss over this."

"What about when you tell him we're engaged?" asks Doggie.

"We can cross that bridge later," Kat shrugs and continues alongside her mate.


	2. School

_School_

"Um, hello, Miss Manx," Anubis Cruger clears his throat as he shakes the hand of his daughter's kindergarten teacher.

"Mister Cruger, it's good to see you," Katherine smiles at the father of little Isinia Cruger. "I'm glad you could make it, I hope this isn't short notice."

"Not at all," Anubis shakes his head.

"I called you in because I've seen development in Isinia that far exceeds the average of her age group. What I would like to discuss with you is how you would feel about Isinia skipping a grade."

"Really?" Anubis was not entirely expecting this. He knows his daughter is smart, but he didn't expect this.

"She would be monitored by our school's counseling staff should things prove stressful for her in any way, and I would be able to monitor her progress personally. In my opinion she is entirely capable, and she is welcome to my tutelage at any time." Kat watches Isinia's father, Anubis – as he's called by the rest of the faculty "hot dad" – for a reaction. He seems greatly intrigued by the offer, and she's glad she hasn't startled him in any way.

"Have you proposed the idea to Isinia?" he asks, still a little surprised.

"Not yet, I wanted you present with her so we could have a discussion, the three of us," Kat smiles kindly.

Anubis feels his heart skip a beat. Miss Manx is possibly the most considerate person he has ever met, and the priority she puts into his daughter's well–being is only endearing. "That's wonderful, Miss Manx, thank you."

"I set her up in the reading igloo, I'll just go get her," Kat smiles and excuses herself from her desk. "Icy?—Isinia, your father and I are done talking just us. Would you join us, please?"

"Coming Miss Manx!" a tiny voice calls. In a second, a happy little girl with deep blue eyes and dark hair skips out of the igloo. In her arms she holds a picture book rendition of "Science and You" for children. "Hi, Daddy, what were you talking about with Miss Manx?"

"Come here," he gestures to the tiny chair set up next to his. Miss Manx has a true knack for teaching, and never patronizes the children. She gives them all the respect she gives adults, which makes them all the more fond of her. "Miss Manx and I were wondering if you would consider skipping first grade and going straight to second."

Isinia looks at Miss Manx, who whispers that considering means thinking. Nodding with understanding, Isinia turns to her father. "Would I still have Miss Manx for a teacher?"

"For second grade, yes," Anubis nods, sharing a look with Miss Manx. "You'd have a different teacher for third grade, but you can still go to Miss Manx if you have any questions, or get scared."

Isinia looks back to Miss Manx, who is the closest to a mother she has. Her birth mother died in childbirth, her father tells her; her name, Isinia, is the name of her mother. "Miss Manx, what do you think?"

Kat smiles at her best student, and a girl for whom she has a particular affection. "Isinia, you are a very smart girl, and to reach your full potential, I suggest that you skip first grade. That being said, I know that idea can be scary, and it's totally up to you. Icy, if you don't want to skip first grade, you do not have to. We only want what's best for you."

The little girl takes on a comically thoughtful face. "You skipped first grade, right?"

"First and second, and while it was scary, I'm glad I did," Kat smiles at Isinia.

Honestly, Anubis has had a soft spot for Miss Manx since the first day she took exceptional care of Isinia, who was terrified of starting school. Since then, the woman has gone above and beyond for her. The nickname "Icy" also makes his heart skip a little. "What do you think, Isinia?"

Isinia makes a motion of stroking a beard, unaware of the adults' attempts not to laugh at the gesture. "It sounds int'resting; and I'd still get to see Miss Manx?"

"Any time you need me, Isinia, even if you just want to talk about your day," Kat assures the little one, physically forcing her meaning through her shimmery eyes.

Anubis smiles down at his daughter and leans in close. "Honey, Miss Manx has always been here to look after you, right?"

"Yeah," Isinia looks at the brunette woman seriously, "and I can still see you even after you're not my teacher?"

"All you have to do is come to my room and I will make time for you, Icy," Kat smiles.

In an instance, Isinia launches herself from her chair and hugs Kat's knees with all her tiny might. "I want you to be my teacher forever!"

Kat loses all other thoughts and focuses solely on the little girl. She picks her up and brings her onto her lap, smoothing the girl's dark hair. "I wish I could be too, sweetie, but just because I won't always be your teacher doesn't mean you won't like school anymore."

"It doesn't?!" Isinia's eyes become huge at the _impossible_ suggestion.

"You'll love it, Icy..." Kat becomes contemplative before smiling and whispering into Isinia's ear. "Did you know I have a niece and nephew in that grade?"

"Really?" Isinia asks in awe.

"Elizabeth likes to be called Z, and her adopted brother, Jack—they'll be in my class, with you, if you want. I think you'd really like them." Kat does a little spin on her wheely chair, making Isinia giggle. "What do you think, Icy?"

"Yeah, it sounds fun, and I could learn more about science?" Isinia looks at her father with exuberance. "Daddy, Miss Manx taught me about how everything is made of molecules, which are made of atoms, which are so tiny no one can see them without a microwave!"

"Microscope, honey," Kat whispers in Icy's ear considerately.

"Microscope!" Isinia corrects herself in a burst that implies that the slip up never happened.

"That's great, sweetheart," Anubis takes his daughter's outstretched arms, lifting her from Miss Manx's lap to his. A moment later he realizes how...inappropriately comfortable he is. "Well, Miss Manx, Isinia, should we discuss the details of this transfer?"

"Can Miss Manx come for Dinner?"

Anubis has the grace to blush a bit at his daughter's suggestion, mostly culpable because he might agree a little too readily when Isinia says she wants to grow up to be as pretty as Miss Manx. "Um, well, Siria, if Miss Manx would like to she's welcome, but you have to ask her first."

"Miss Manx, would you like to come over for Dinner?" Isinia attempts to clamor back to Miss Manx over the desk.

"If it's all right with your father," Kat blushes a bit, trying not to look nervous in front of the sweet and exceedingly attractive Mister Cruger. "Thank you, Isinia, Mister Cruger...?"

"Call me Anubis," he smiles at the beautiful brunette.

"Then call me Kat," she smiles back, then down at Isinia, who smiles at both slyly.


	3. Cadets

_Cadets_

"A–Squad, report!" Commander Birdie caws.

"Cadet Sal Silverback, sir," Silverback hoots in a slouch.

"Cadet Anubis Cruger, sir," Doggie responds rigidly.

"Cadet Katherine Manx, sir," Kat snaps just as rigidly as Doggie.

"Cadet Narnus Allegoria, sir," a lion looking cadet responds heartily.

"Cadet Isinia Doberman, sir," A female Sirian, like Doggie, responds.

"You're a sorry lot, but you're all we've got for now," Birdie gripes, completely deprecating his Cadets. "Today's training wasn't bad, all things considered. Silverback, try being...I dunno—quieter. Cruger, you need to worry about your teammates less, most specifically, your female teammates. Manx, don't be afraid to really pummel your sparring partner, really claw into 'em. Allegoria, stop finding everything so funny, your laughing is distracting in combat! Doberman, talk less, fight more. Anyway, like I said, it could be worse, so just, try to be not as bad: dismissed."

"Sir!" the Cadets salute their overwhelmingly negative Commander and file out.

"I need to be quieter?!" Silverback complains once back in their lounge.

"Sal, my friend, your equivalent of whispering is still louder than the average megaphone," Doggie pats his pal on the back. "Do you think I need to worry about the girls less? I know they're very capable of handling themselves, but... "

"I don't think you looking out for us is necessarily a problem," Kat defends him readily, "only because you've never gotten overprotective of us."

"I think it's sweet," Isinia adds in, somewhat contesting Kat's statement. The two are often at odds, and it doesn't help how they conflict over their feelings for Doggie.

"Well, I don't think he really needed to give you a note at all. I mean, so you don't rip apart your sparring partners—you're not supposed to." Doggie sits at the table and pulls out a bottle of water for himself and for Katherine. "Although, Narnus, you could stand to laugh...less."

"Oh, come on, Mister I–Sleep–in–my–Uniform, loosen up," Narnus pats the smaller alien on the back. Narnus is the source of the joke that the "Animal Squad", considering they're all aliens resembling Earth animals. "You need to learn to have some fun!"

"Nothing wrong with a sense of humor," Kat adds, for which Narnus rustles her curls.

"Thanks, Kitty–Kat," he laughs at the nickname, although she hisses at him, "sorry, kid."

"I don't know, I think Commander Birdie has some fair points, Isinia speaks up," ignoring the slight groan it earns from her comrades. Narnus refers to her as "Commander's Pet" (not that she knows that). "I mean, Sal, you are kind of loud, and Narnus, you need to get serious."

"Come off it, Icy," Narnus heaves his largely muscled body into a chair, still smiling, though it's a bit dark. "All we see and do in our lives and you want me to be a wet blanket?"

"I'm just saying, he's our Commander for a reason, right?" Isinia pleads, "Doggie?"

Doggie, usually the one out of the four of them to defend her, sighs. "I suppose so, but... "

"Commander Birdie is a veteran of rank, it doesn't mean he signed on to command Cadets; he got stuck with it. SPD leaders should be people of genuine honor and valor."

Doggie looks at Katherine, who always comes through with words much wiser than any of them could dare to voice. "You're right as always, Kat."

Katherine smiles shyly at Doggie, counting it as a victory to get him to smile at all.

"Kat and Doggie sittin' in a tree!" Narnus laughs at his vibrantly blushing friends.


	4. Vampires and Werewolves

_Vampires and Werewolves_

Those books are awful, Anubis thinks as he sees another _Twilight_ book sticking out of another passerby's purse. He pulls his black trench coat tighter around his face, against the harsh winter winds. There was news from his friend Silverback that a meeting between their kind and the vampires was to be held on the emergence of half–vampire adolescents.

"You must be Anubis," a melodic voice calls him.

He turns his deep blue eyes to find the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. Although his instincts tell him to go full wolf and pin her, he controls himself. Instead, he trudges over to the woman in the wind. Her scent travels to his nose and he's surrounded by acrid peach mixed with smooth vanilla. "I am; you're Katherine."

"I am," the woman smiles at him cautiously.

At least she's not as cocky as most vampires, he jokes. She is breathtaking, though. She has long legs, clad in black boots and jeans, shielded by a long white coat. Although her eyes are red, dictated by her lineage, they have flecks of green in them. Katherine, or Kat, as she's known, is a vampire known for being catlike in every way. An ability of hers, extending past the normal spectrum, is that her intelligence exceeds that of any supercomputer on Earth.

"You've heard of the young ones, I suppose," she says in a measured tone. She's no more comfortable with this than him, but she has enough sense to be civilized about it. Her eyes monitor his form carefully, watching his coat bend around his muscular frame. He is handsome, she can concede, for a werewolf.

"Delgado, Landors, Tate, Carson and Drew, part human, part vampire. How did this happen?" he asks, able to keep accusation out of his tone.

Katherine approaches him with grace, slowly. Her fangs poke out of her lips and he rears back in instinct. "I'm the reason it happened."

Now, Anubis looks at the woman strangely. "What do you mean?"

"I headed a team of human researchers who were interested in isolating the vampiric gene. The spliced results interfered their DNA and produced hybrid younglings." Katherine shakes her head, possibly at herself. When she looks back at Anubis, her chestnut curls flying around her face, she's solemn. "I was told that I'd have a werewolf partner in the curbing action."

"SPD, the Supernatural Powers Division?—yes, I've been assigned to work with you to train them on controlling their vampiric powers," Anubis nods. "I was a Commander; I'll try to be of assistance to you, Miss...?"

"Manx," she supplies simply. "You can call me Kat. I appreciate your help in this, Commander."

Anubis watches her eyes flash with something as she addresses him by rank. "You may call me Anubis, or...Doggie, if you wish."

"Doggie?" She smiles at him, showing off her fangs even more.

"It's a nickname my friend Silverback gave to me. It just stuck, I guess. If we're going to be working together, we might as well be friends," he shrugs, slightly embarrassed.

Katherine goes over to him and smiles up into his handsome mug. "I'd like that."

Doggie takes the opportunity to morph, revealing his black fur, shining blue in the light. His eyes remain blue, and gaze down at her past his large, fanged maw. "Just so we're clear."

Kat hisses at him with her fangs. "Consider us the best of friends, for now, Doggie."

Doggie hunkers away, tail swishing, cursing the day he met the beautiful vampire, Kat.


	5. Role Reversal

_Role Reversal_

"Doctor Doberman," Commander Cruger addresses his head technician, Isinia.

"Yes, sir," Isinia looks at her fellow Sirian, and the object of her affections.

"Do you," Doggie begins, "do you think Kat might still be alive?"

Isinia sighs; Doggie often muses on his disappeared wife. He met her on Felis and lost her to the Troobians shortly after their wedding. As his best friend, Isinia knows how much of his mind still devoted to the beautiful Katherine Cruger. It pains Isinia, but Katherine is always on his mind. "I'm not sure, sir, but we can hope."

"Indeed," Doggie sighs. He looks to Isinia, his best friend on Earth and coworker of many years. He is very fond of her, and has toyed with the idea of feelings for her, however, he remains unfortunately devoted to his wife. He misses Katherine with all his heart and soul. He misses her intelligence, and tenacity, and willingness to fight by his side. Most of all, he misses having her by his side, each and every day. "I'm sorry, Isinia, I shouldn't be involving you in this."

"Doggie," Isinia scolds lightly, "I'm your friend, I want her back just as much as you do."

That might be a lie.

"Thank you," he nods to her. "Since Benaag and Icthior...I have to believe that she could still be out there. Kat was...Kat is a fighter—never been one to just roll over in the face of danger. She fought for Felis the same as I fought for our home of Sirius."

"I know, Doggie, and I do believe that she would fight to find you again," says Isinia.

That is the truth; who wouldn't?

As Isinia takes her leave Doggie sighs to himself. He has more than toyed with the idea of feelings for her, if he were honest. They met long ago on Sirius, and his feelings for her are different from his feelings for Kat, but he refused to acknowledge them.

He discovered Kat wasn't gone, first, when Benaag wasn't guilty of her disappearance, and second, when Icthior told him she was still alive. Not that Icthior was ever credible, but when he and Kat were in the academy, he fought Icthior for the honor of pinning her (not what you think: when one cadet gives his SPD pin to a female signifying their commitment to each other). Icthior had just as big a crush on Kat, but, then again, many did. He didn't know Isinia back then, as she went to an all girls branch.

His ears twitch; "A–Squad, can I help you with something?"

"Actually, Commander Cruger," Charlie smirks, "you're going to come with us."

"Why—"

Cruger next awakens on the flagship of Lord Grumm. He growls a bit: "Grumm."

"We meet again, Doggie Cruger," the alien growls/whispers in a throaty rasp. "Still mourning your lovely wife?"

"Bastard!" Doggie leaps at him but has to settle for grasping the bars in his paws.

"Well, then, I have a surprise for you," Grumm snaps his fingers and gestures to his left. A bluehead responds to the call and drags in a cloaked figure, chained by the wrists. "You've missed her so, why not say hello to her one last time before I destroy you both along with Earth?"

"Doggie?!"

"Katherine!" Doggie barks, astounded to see the bluehead rip the hood off of his wife's head. She's paler than he remembers, but just as beautiful as ever. "What did you do to her, Grumm?! If you hurt her—"

"Answer him, Katherine, dear," Grumm snaps at Kat, who still has enough spark in her to hiss at him. When he raises a hand, though, she quiets.

"I've been your servant," she growls out. She looks back to Doggie, tears in her eyes. "Doggie, you...Grumm told me he'd killed you."

"No," Doggie whispers, aching to reach out to his angelic wife. She goes to him but the bluehead yanks on her chains, away from his cell. "Let her go, Grumm, this is between us!"

"Not entirely, and I've had a great deal of amusement at my dispense with this feisty, little kitty cat here. I'm not sure I'm ready to let her go back to the husband who abandoned her—"

"Liar!—Doggie never abandoned me!" Kat hisses at Grumm again but is brought to her knees by her chains.

"See?—isn't she amusing?" Grumm chuckles and takes Kat's chains into his own hands.

"If you touch her," Doggie growls darkly. Kat shows no sign of trauma, or violation, but that is of little comfort to him now. Her eyes are steelier than before and the chocolatey speckles on her cheeks are so pale now...

"Not to worry, Doggie Cruger," Grumm turns to him one final time. "I would never lower myself by touching that with which you have mated. Your wife remains yours...for now."

"I'll kill you, Grumm!" Cruger roars and howls in his cell.

Cruger spends the rest of his time brooding. His mind is filled with every image of Kat his memory will supply. He goes through this, possibly his last memory of her, and the happier times of before.

He first met Kat at the academy. She was studying science and he was a cadet for active duty. Despite the difference in their Sirian and Felid blood, they formed an immediate friendship, which deepened. Kat was entirely bewitching to him, even back in the early days of their friendship. She was young, but demonstrated strength, intelligence and courage well beyond her years. Something about her, a fire burning deep within, made him see her like no other woman.

Soon enough, they were committed to each other – the equivalent of "going steady" on Earth – and happier than ever. Doggie had a most beautiful Felid on his arm who not only understood him, but balanced him. She would allow him to be the alpha male when he needed it, but also wasn't afraid to challenge him when he was being stubborn. She always called him a "stubborn dog". He secretly loved it when she did.

He had proposed as soon as they graduated. She graduated in his year, although she was a good three years behind him, naturally; she had skipped three years with her academic record, and still managed to be at the top of her classes. They were married immediately, technically young, but not too much so by either of their planet's standards. The wedding was small, but they were happy. Kat got a job with SPD labs straight out of the academy, as to be expected, as he was drafted into active rank. They lived on Felis, for Kat's work. They were happy.

Then, the Troobians arrived. They decimated the planet and all on it. Doggie fought bravely with his comrades but they were no match for the legion of soldiers at Grumm's disposal. He lost his squadron...his wife...he lost everything. When he awoke from the massacre, he was the only one left.

It wasn't long after that when he arrived back to his home planet of Sirius, which had been destroyed by the Troobians not long after. That was when he first met Isinia, the only survivor, besides him.

"You go," he barks at his B–Squad Cadets.

"We're not going without you, sir," says Jack.

"Your planet needs you, now more than ever. Grumm and I have unfinished business." They dash off and Doggie heads straight for Grumm, morphing in quickmode on his way. His mind is a blank slate as he goes on, ignoring Mora, and any and all other obstacles.

"Doggie!"

Cruger looks through his visor at his wife. He's slightly glad that she can't see how dark his eyes are. Kat, compassionate as she is, asked he never take a life in anger...this, however, he might not be able to promise her today. "Grumm, you face me now."

"Are so sure about this?" Grumm takes Kat by the arm, unchained, and pushes her to the edge. "Any closer, and your precious Katherine goes over the edge."

Doggie remains silent. He steadies his breathing. He looks at Kat, who he swears can see into his eyes despite the reflective black over them. He steels his resolve. He runs.

Like slow motion, Grumm throws Kat over the edge. Doggie runs. He bypasses Grumm and goes over the edge himself. Grabbing Kat, he throws her up, and follows suit himself. He demorphs; "Kat, look at me, are you okay?"

Katherine nods, bewildered. "A–are you?"

Doggie just nods, Kat's hand in his paw.

"Commander!"

"Isinia?" Cruger grabs his morpher. "What's going on down there?"

"The Command Center was overrun, sir!"

Doggie looks to Kat, who touches his muzzle and nods. He nods in return. "Isinia, what do you need me to do?"

"Omni has a power source, but it would need to be struck from the inside," Isinia's voice in timid, knowing what she's suggesting. "If you were to destroy it from the inside, our rangers might have a chance to destroy Omni."

"Consider it done," Cruger says, determined. He grabs Kat and pulls her up with him. She grips his paw in her hands, a sign of affirmation between the two of them.

"Commander, you know if you succeed, you...you might not..." Isinia's voice cracks.

"I know," he says seriously. He wishes he had the words for the moment, but he doesn't.

"Rangers, if the Commander succeeds—"

"When, Isinia, it's _when_ I succeed," Doggie says into the morpher, still running along with Kat in tow. Finally he makes it and swings open the hatch that will allow his rangers to deliver the final blow. "Thank you, my friend."

"Doggie," Isinia sighs, and wishes she could tell him she loves him.

"Get down!" Doggie pushes Kat to the floor as the rangers' blast comes in, "Kat!"

The dust clears. Omni has officially fallen and Earth is safe. Most are celebrating, but there remains the issue of Commander Cruger, and his wife. The loss sits heavy in the air, along with the debris smoke. Isinia in particular is choked by the grief.

"I can't believe the old dog's really gone."

"Who are you calling an old dog?"

The smoke clears, revealing good, old Commander Cruger. He walks with his head held high, paw leading a smaller figure. Katherine Cruger, a truly feline looking humanoid woman, walks beside him. Her hand is held firmly in his paw. They are both serious, but not dark. Small, profound smiles sit on their faces. Katherine looks at her husband and leans into him a little, showing pearly, white fangs. Cruger looks back at her also, and smiles the gentlest, warmest smile anyone could ever imagine on his great, blue muzzle.

"They made it!" a nameless voice calls.

Isinia lets the wind be knocked out of her at the sight of her old friend emerging unscathed. In this moment, she's even glad to see the woman by his side. As he approaches, speaking with their rangers, she swallows thickly. "Welcome back, you old dog."

"Thank you, Isinia," Doggie's eyes are tender as he looks at her. However, when he looks back at his wife, they take on entirely new tone of affection. "I would like you to meet my wife, Katherine."

As the two women lock eyes an unspoken understanding is reached. Isinia looks at Katherine with trepidation and perhaps poorly concealed resentment. Katherine herself has hardened green eyes, pupils, thin like slits. Maybe, before the Troobian campaign, they might have been a brighter green. They shake hands firmly and an unspoken understanding is reached.

They both love Doggie Cruger.

"Thank you, Isinia," Katherine speaks up, serious. Her eyes find Isinia's and seem steeled, maybe in a kind of challenging gratitude. "I know you've worked with Doggie for a long time and I...I _appreciate_...I'm glad he has someone like you by his side."

Isinia is a little shocked at the woman's diplomacy. She finds it frustratingly difficult to dislike her, with her calm grace and balanced air. "Thank you, Missus Cruger; Doggie has been quite...he has missed you."

"I have missed him too," Katherine spares Isinia a smile before looking back at Doggie, who seems glad the two are getting along. "I would like to get to know each other better, perhaps. I would like us to be...friends."

Isinia nods and doesn't feel the odd pull at her heart that she does normally when thinking of Doggie's wife. "I would like that too, Missus Cruger."

"Please, Isinia, call me Kat," the brunette flashes a dazzling smile.

"Kat," Isinia nods and smiles a little too.

"Kat, you must come to the infirmary," Doggie takes his (only slightly) shorter wife and leads her gently. "Isinia knows Doctor Wolfe quite well, he'll take good care of you."

Isinia smiles a bit, thinking that she really ought to give Wolfe more of a chance; he came to base not long ago, and she's well aware he has feelings for her. Perhaps she should give more thought to him than she has. Her heart isn't reserved for Doggie anymore—it can't be.

"Hey," Z greets Doctor Doberman, the only one with a proper inkling of her feelings, "you okay?"

Isinia takes just a second to sigh with a finality and smiles: "actually, yes."

"Good," Z nods to Isinia fondly.

"Come on, you should all meet Missus Cruge—or, Kat, properly," Isinia leads her rangers into the building.

The rangers shrug to each other behind her, having assumed – not incorrectly – that she'd had feelings for Commander Cruger all this time. Still, they follow her in. Heading straight to the infirmary, the see Cruger, fussing over a woman who refuses to lie still.

"Hi, Wolfe," Isinia smiles at the Sirian–Wolfen man, who smiles back.

"Kat, don't be stubborn," Cruger huffs.

"I told you, I am fine, you are the one who should be examined, stubborn, old dog."

"I like her," Z nods with Syd. "Anyone who talks to DC like that's okay in my books."

"Rangers," Cruger greets, brighter than he's been in years. "I would like you all to meet my wife, Katherine Cruger."

"Call me Kat," she smiles at the group of kids, eager to catch up on her true love's life.


	6. Domesticity

_Domesticity_

"Okay, here y'go, boy," Sky lets SPD's prized patrol dog, Cruger, off the leash.

Cruger barks up at Sky, vaguely in thanks, and heads, off, straight–faced and serious as always. He watches some younger dogs play with a tennis ball and scoffs. He wouldn't even be here if it weren't for the fact that these walks of his were "mandatory breaks" for him.

To his left, on a park bench, sits a domestic Manx cat. She sits next to a brunette human, reading. The Manx is tall for her breed, with her tiny little tail and large, pointy ears. She turns her green eyes on him and seems to smirk at him. Her irritating air only increases as she begins licking her paw, occasionally sparing him a judgmental gaze.

Cruger growls at the kitty cat, asking what her problem is.

She tilts her head at him, as if asking what's got him so riled up.

Cruger sits himself down again, tail out behind him. His face is serious; he just wishes he were on duty.

The Manx stands, though not very high next to him, mind you. Still, on the bench, she can look him in the eye. She pads closer to him, tiny tail raised as much as it can be. He seems hostile, but a big sook.

Cruger spares the feline a withering glare, quirking the marks in his fur that mimic eyebrows. He wonders what in the world she's thinking, approaching a patrol dog like this.

Manx simply paws at his great muzzle.

He shakes it violently and growls at her. What could she possibly be thinking?

The Manx lets out a meow that sounds an awful lot like her laughing at him. She lies herself down and moves her ears, demonstrating how content he could be if he would just relax.

Cruger reluctantly follows suit and crosses his paws. Feeling the heat he lets himself pant a little bit. Okay, this isn't so bad, this relaxing thing. He looks to the Manx, and to her collar: Katherine. His head tilts...who names a cat Katherine? Well, if he thinks about it, his name is Cruger...that's pretty kick–ass, though...

"Okay, c'mon Kat," the brunette boy picks Katherine up delicately and lets the Manx settle in his arms. "Oh, did you make a new friend?"

Katherine looks up at her human and then back to Cruger, and blinks cutely.

"Well, you look like a sweet dog, yes, you do," the male human bends to Cruger and gives him a pat on the muzzle. He wears black leather gloves, even in the heat of summer. Suspicious, Cruger thinks, before his thoughts become lost in a belly rub. "Cruger...SPD Patrol, wow; Kat, you just made a very important friend."

Kat purrs against Bridge and looks at Cruger, still appearing to smile.

Cruger situates himself upright again, embarrassed at his private moment. He shakes himself, trying to retain some dignity. When he looks at Katherine he raises his brows, asking when he'll see her again.

Kat blinks slowly and regards him the way only a cat can. A vague answer, but a reassuring one. As Bridge starts to turn she meows at Cruger in farewell, winking at him.

Cruger winks back but tries to deny it to himself.

"Cruger, come," Sky calls out.

Cruger obeys becomes latched to the leash all to gladly. Still, though, maybe some park trips aren't so bad. He met a most interesting cat today, and she wasn't even as irritating as cats normally are. He could stand to see her again...maybe.


	7. Covert Affairs

_Covert Affairs_

Doggie sits with a single glass of scotch, alone. He didn't want to come to the SPD gala anyway, but his wife insisted they come. She's talking to his boss, probably embarrassing him about how he works too much and doesn't spend enough time with her. Doggie doesn't care much anymore; he's too busy being miserable.

"Mind if I sit?"

When Mister Cruger looks up he sees a bewitching brunette Felid. Her eyes dance in the low light, flickering from shades of jade to tones of emerald. Her curls are glossy and the teal dress she wears hugs her form deliciously. Doggie blinks, trying not to stare. "Not at all, please, join me."

"Thank you," the woman nods and sits herself delicately. She perches her slight form on the seat and toys with a glass of scotch, just as untouched as his. "I see you're as happy to be here as I am."

Doggie lets himself chuckle a little roughly and pushes the scotch away. The woman does so as well. "I'm, uh, not one for parties."

"I agree," she looks at him, "Katherine Manx."

"Anubis Cruger," he takes her hand in his and kisses the peachy back of it, "call me Doggie."

Katherine smiles at the courteous gentleman. "Well, then, Doggie, what drags you here?"

"My wife," he sighs, finding himself a little too reluctant to admit to the beauteous stranger that he's married.

"Ah, my husband convinced me to come," the brunette laughs a little dryly, "and then had the nerve to stand me up for it."

"The fool," Doggie murmurs, leaning his muzzle on his fist. One look at the beautiful Katherine and he has no doubt that this man is an absolute imbecile. "A man who strays from your side deserves to have his head examined."

Katherine lets out a positively regal laugh. "Flattering, but I might take you up on that offer. My husband means well, but he thinks that I should be asking for more than a technician's rank. I keep telling him that I have no desire to apply for a lab manager's position but he just gets these ideas in his head... "

"My wife has similar ideas about my rank, believing I should be promoted to Commander, yet also complains that I work too much," Doggie shakes his head. "Listen to me, complaining to you about my personal life."

"Nonsense, I started it," Katherine extends the olive branch. She smiles at the mysterious Mister Cruger, a chivalrous and handsome Sirian. "Every spouse has to have someone to complain to, right?"

"Yes, I suppose so," Doggie laughs in spite of himself. He tries not to, because it makes him feel like a bad husband when he complains about Isinia. It's futile not to, though, as their days are usually filled with arguments.

"It's not my place, but, for what it's worth, I imagine it takes quite a feat to get under your scales," Katherine leans forward boldly, quiet with conspiracy. "What exactly has this woman done to irritate a nice guy like you?"

"Well, she hasn't hesitated in the past to go over my head and complain to my commanding officers, completely undermining me," he sighs. "If I were really harming someone I wouldn't mind it, but I'm working the same hours as everyone else."

"I understand," Kat sighs as well. "My husband complains that I like my work too much, a concept I think is completely absurd. My job as a chemical engineer is very rewarding, and I don't need my own lab to make it all worth it to me."

"That's very admirable, Missus Manx," Cruger nods. "May I ask how your job links to SPD?"

"My branch is an exterior firm SPD employs from time to time when in need of biochemical engineering. I'm a Doctor in chemical engineering, as well as biochemical engineering, mechanical engineering, organic biomedical pharmacology, biochemical genealogy, and practical genetic alteration via biochemical and organic engineering."

"Well," Doggie searches for words, impressed to say the least. "That is very impressive, indeed, Doctor Manx."

"Call me Kat, please," she also leans her delicate jaw on her fist, giving him a coy (and slightly flirtatious) smile. "Who is your wife, if I may?"

"Isinia Cruger," Doggie tries to say with happiness but it sounds burdened. To disregard it he looks at Kat, "and, your husband?"

"Robert Manx," Kat says in the same drawled tone. "We were married, well, young, let's say. We're happy, don't get me wrong, it's just that sometimes I'm tired of—"

"Being the one trying," Doggie finishes for her easily.

Kat is silently astounded by this man. "Yes," she whispers, "exactly."

"Please, join me on the balcony?" Doggie stands and holds out a blue paw to the woman.

"I'd be honored, sir," she curtsies to him slightly as she stands. As she slips her hand into his paw she gathers her dress in the other hand and follows him with long strides. "Do you go to the balcony often?"

"Well, I found one balcony door unlocked at the first gala and have returned during each since. It's a nice break from the mess indoors," Doggie explains. He arrives to the last balcony in the hall and opens the french door for his guest. "After you, Kat."

"Thank you, Doggie," she sweeps past him, dress flying out behind her. The wind of the late evening, early night, rustles her curls beautifully. "This is beautiful."

"Yes, it is," he answers before he can catch himself, considering he's only looking at Kat.

"Has your wife ever been here?" Kat can't resist asking. She hates to spoil the mood with talk of his wife (well, to spoil her mood, considering the inappropriate amount of jealousy she feels toward the woman) but she can't resist her curiosity. Curiosity hasn't killed her yet...

"She prefers to either be completely uninvolved in my work or be trying to convince my superiors that a home branch transfer would be best." Doggie's tone is strained as he says it.

"I think she should be proud to have such an honorable man for a husband," Kat begins with her eyes downward. She tucks a curl around her impressive ears and looks up at him. "You are a man who serves the galaxy, gives everything for the greater good—you are a true hero of a man. One of the only ones left, if you ask me."

Doggie is touched by this woman's high opinion of his valor. His own wife has never praised him so highly, not for his rank or nobility, but Kat does purely because he chooses to fight to protect those who cannot themselves. "Thank you, Katherine, that is very kind. Your husband...your husband truly is a fool."

Kat feels as if the next moment happens in slow motion, herself, witnessing it but helpless to stop. Her body flies to his the way a magnet flies to its natural match. Their body heat mixes like steam around them. Her arms wrap around his large, blue neck, fingers kneading the spiky black fur of his head. His arms go back around her in response, hugging her lithe body at her hourglass waist. Her lips, a raspberry kind of tone for the evening, find the lips of his muzzle.

The contact sends earthquakes and lightning storms a surge through her body. Fever rises in her mind and down to her toes. His lips work with hers so naturally that she has to believe that they're made for each other. The tiny scales of the area are cool, yet, against her lips, they are like fire. A distinct sweetness sits on her tongue as his brushes hers gently. She moans quietly into him and a growl rumbles deep in his throat in response, in the most attractive way. His paws massage the bare flesh of her back, lighting it aflame in his wake. He pushes her against the railing of the balcony gently, but still forcing her closer to him still. She arches into him and he whispers her name in a moment of weakness.

Kat feels a tiny wiggle of guilt in the back of her mind. However, she's afraid that Robert could not be farther from her mind as Doggie continues to kiss her with a gentle passion that makes her wish they could mate on this stone balcony here and now. When she said she and Robert married young she refers to the fact that they were promised to each other at age fourteen, not entirely by her idea. Sure, she does love Robert, but...there's no end to that thought, but still. They've been married for about ten years and she can't help but feel that they're friends at best...friends who have sex. Sex, that's it, though. The feeling she has kissing Doggie is as close to "making love" as she's ever felt in her life.

Doggie feels a bit of guilt for betraying his wife, but is too wrapped up in the delectability that is Katherine Manx. Her delicate little tongue, just rough enough to be exciting, against his is heaven. Sirians are not about this kind of affection, and aside from mating (which is not something he has gotten to think about in years) you're lucky to get a nuzzling on the shoulder. Katherine, though, has this way of making him feel like a God. Her ministrations are both firm in confidence but also yielding to allow him his alpha male dominance. By Sirius, she's purring! If he weren't a good man and husband he'd have her on this balcony here and now.

After a solid couple minutes of what can only be described as "tongue mating" they release each other. Kat remains enveloped in his strong, gentle arms, shielding her divine little body against the breeze. He leans his snout against her lightly, letting his nose dot along the adorable speckles of her cheeks. Their breaths mingle in the slightly cool air, their chests, heaving from their efforts.

"This, um," Doggie attempts to start but his words die in the air.

"Yeah," Kat also is at a loss for words. She doesn't want to reveal that she's maybe too, um...revved up because of him. Her tongue and lips still tingle. A hearty heat at the very base of her core heats her plentifully.

The french doors of the balcony burst open again.

Kat and Doggie's jaws drop as they witness their respective spouses waltzing in, kissing fiercely. Robert is firmly kissing Isinia, making yowling sounds from deep within his throat and cupping her backside. Isinia all but resists, though, growling at him for more before moving her tongue to his neck.

"Robert!" Kat snaps, more irritated at the interruption than devastated by the cheating.

"Isinia?!" Doggie barks, angry at her for being a hypocrite more than anything.

"Katherine," Robert snaps to but doesn't look any more guilty than Kat.

"Doggie!" Isinia's eyes widen, though she doesn't move from Robert's arms.

This makes for one awkward session with one confused divorce lawyer.


	8. Cadets 2

_Still Cadets_

"Come on, Kitty, just tell him," Narnus nudges the girl who has become like a little sister to him. He towers over her five foot seven form, only because he himself is six feet tall at 16.

"Shut it, Narnus," Kat mutters, cheeks a vibrant red. "Leave it alone."

"Mm, can't do that, kiddo," the lion headed adolescent laughs heartily. "I can't rest until I see you and Doggie going to graduation gala together."

"Shush!" Kat hisses feverishly. While it may not be unknown that she has a particular affection for their blue rank teammate, it is not widely known, either. She would like to keep it that way. "He'll probably ask Isinia, anyway."

Narnus notices Kat's distress at this and smiles. "I actually know for a fact that he wants to ask you, he's just too shy."

"Really?" Kat asks a little too eagerly for her own discretion.

"He asked me personally if anyone had asked you yet," Narnus nods with his arms folded. "I had to say yes but that you had turned them all down. But, you know as well as I do that if you don't ask him soon Isinia will, and Doggie's too much of a gentleman to say no."

"Yeah," Kat sighs, shoving her hands into her green trimmed pockets. She eyes the yellow of Narnus' uniform distractedly. "You really think he'd say yes if I asked him?"

"Asked who what?"

Kat bumps into the rock hard chest of Anubis Doggie Cruger in a fluster, bouncing back into the arms of Narnus. Her already blushing cheeks become a shade of red similar to Sal's red uniform trimming. "Oh my—Doggie, I–I'm so sorry!"

"No, are you okay, Kat?" Doggie helps Kat to her feet while looking at Narnus in concern. He receives a knowing smirk in return. "What were you saying earlier?"

"Oh, um," Kat fiddles with her claws in a rare bout of shyness. Her heart hammers madly in her chest and she can feel the hot pulse of blood all the way to the tips of her ears, folded against her curls. "Well, I just, uh—"

Narnus has mercy on the young girl and steps in with his overbearing voice (second to only Sal's): "Kat doesn't have a date for the graduation gala and she was wondering if you'd take her."

Kat swears steam is coming out of her ears as she stares at her boots.

Doggie looks at the intensely blushing Katherine. She's cute (and beautiful, in his opinion) on an average day and with the pink shade of her cheeks he finds her unbearably adorable. A smile comes to his muzzle and he looks at Narnus, who winks at him. Doggie has been incredibly fond of Katherine from day one, and it could even be said that he has a bit of a crush on her. He does, and it is...said...that he does. "I'd love to, Kat; I was actually going to ask you, but I assumed you had already been asked."

"We–well, I have, but," Kat shrugs one shoulder and looks shyly up at her good friend and the cadet she happens to have been drooling over from the first day of the academy. Okay, she actually has the biggest crush on him imaginable.

"Well, I'm glad you held out—I won't disappoint, I assure you. I'm honored to be taking you, _Miss_," Doggie bends and kisses the back of Kat's pale hand, "Katherine."

Kat remains frozen in place, blushing her head off, all but trembling with excitement.

"Come on, Kitty–Kat," Narnus drags Kat along, almost carrying her. "Let's go break the news to Icy that she's missed out on browbeating Doggie into asking her."


	9. Apocalyptica

_Apocalyptica_

"Survivor count as of August 11, 2025, 1600 hours, in base district: 12."

The air is heavy, and reeks of bloodshed; it has been approximately a month since the fall of Earth to the Troobian Empire. Rather than destroying the planet entirely, they have made a foot–hole out of the globe as they continue their destructive campaign. Lord Omni defeated Earth's forces with little trouble, save the B–Squad power rangers of NewTech SPD base.

"Thank you, Doctor Manx," Cruger grumbles.

"Yes, sir," the voice is subdued, nothing short of crushed completely. Any life it once possessed has been effectively obliterated.

"I'll be back from recon in twenty minutes," Cruger nods and slides a tattered satchel over his shoulder. His Commander's jacket is equally damaged from the battles, lucky to have escaped base with him. He should count himself lucky, really, he thinks, that he escaped with only a dislocated shoulder (which Doctor Manx fixed).

Doctor Manx...is another survivor. When base was overrun she was able to use the Cat morpher to defend it as best she could, but... Things get to be too much, and the fleet of krybots that took over destroyed the place. He and Manx were lucky to escape with the few they did. Doctor Manx worked tirelessly...they all worked tirelessly... Manx lost her assistant, Boom, to the fleet, as well as her brother, Doctor Felix.

Their own B–Squad rangers were nearly lost as well. For how things are it really can't say they escaped unscathed, though. The group of five has divided to lead the different sectors of survivors in hopes of rebellion, some day. They haven't been in contact much—it's too bad, really. They needed each other but the failure of their efforts was too much for them to handle. The power rangers disbanded, for all intents and purposes.

This crushed Doctor Manx, who had done nothing but aid their well being for years. They left without much of a goodbye, only sparing a nod over their shoulders in retrospect. It was cold of them, but still not as bad as some of the things that haunt her. As the engineer behind Earth's last defenses, she got a lot of fingers pointed at her, got a lot of blame placed on her. It's not fair, but at the time, people were desperate for a separate culpability.

Cruger looks around the corner cautiously, smelling the air for foot soldiers. The ruins of NewTech are still smouldering after all these weeks. When he is sure the coast is clear he speeds around as quickly as possible, looking for machine parts, scraps of food, anything useful to their cause. In particular, he knows Doctor Manx needs wiring. He wants to help Doctor Manx in any way he can, especially considering that she's the only one working on things now. Doctor Manx...he hasn't called her Kat in weeks. For whatever reason, he just hasn't. She hasn't called him Doggie recently, either, to be fair. They just...fell out of touch, like their rangers.

On the streets...a few old car parts...some scrap metal...wait...

Cruger bends to a small flower, sprouting through the smoking concrete. It's small, just budding, but it's the first sign of life he has seen in about a month. There are faint white petals curled into a point at the top. It's so small, but it's beautiful. Looking around again, he quickly digs the flower out, soil and roots and all, and puts it in his pack. He disregards everything else and darts back to the underground base they've made under the ruins of the secret SWAT hangar.

"Find anything?" Doctor Manx asks, her back turned to the entrance of the command center/mineral deposit they share for working. Her black clothes are covered in dirt as she sits before a homemade monitor, fiddling with parts and wiring, desperately trying to hook up to satellite waves. She doesn't bother turning to her once–Commander. They haven't had a great dynamic in the recent weeks, and things are strained at best. Her eyes are practically black most of the time. The only time she gets to see his eyes' truly beautiful blue is in her dreams, of before this hell. Up until about a week ago she wasn't able to have dreams at all. There were only soul–draining nightmares of how many deaths for which she had gotten the blame. Every night she would have silent night terrors, cold sweating and shaking violently. Her nights were filled with visions of shallow graves, everywhere, everyone pointing at her for the massacre of Earth.

"Actually, yes," Cruger nods and pulls out the flower. He grabs a cracked mug, having been used for water anyway, and drops the flower in. Gently, he places it next to her, sliding it into her view. "Here...Kat...I, uh, found this."

Kat looks at the flower then at Doggie. Her eyes are wide, and green again. The tiny bud sits in the coffee mug innocently, promising new life and hope. When she looks up at her old friend his eyes are blue again, and tender. Her eyes sting with tears that are unable to fall. "Thank you...Doggie; I–I'm glad you're back."

Doggie places a paw on her shoulder in the best signal of affection he can muster at the moment. She touches his paw with her hand, which is the best she can manage, and he's okay with that. "We're going to be okay, Kat."

"Yeah," she sighs, somewhat happy. The feeling is foreign to her at this point. When she flicks on the infrastructure it gets some static, but actually achieves a picture. It's not perfect, but it's a satellite reading of NewTech. There are krybots everywhere, and it's a grim picture, but it is better than nothing. "Oh, my—we're online."

"Well done, Kat," Doggie says. His tone is reminiscent of their pre–Troobian work, and it's comforting, in a subtle way. A beeping at his hip sounds and he pulls out Shadow morpher. "Cruger—ah, Bridge, what's...I see, yes, give me a moment."

"What's wrong?" Kat asks with a constricted throat. Her rangers were quite cold with her the last time they parted ways but she still loves them like her own kids.

"Conference call on the morphers," he supplies simply and hits a few buttons. "Cruger and Kat here: what's going on?"

"I picked up your satellite uplink on my morpher," says Bridge. "How did you guys hook up to the satellites?"

"Kat got a monitor up and running here," Cruger says with pride in his voice.

"Wow, that's great," Bridge sounds like his old self, if a little hoarse.

"That's good news," says the ever serious Sky.

"How did you manage to get a monitor working?" Z asks from her base stationed in the old ruins of downtown.

"I had to scrape together some parts, it took a good three weeks of work," Kat says into the morpher, wary of talking with her rangers for the first time in quite a while.

"You did it, Kat," Syd says with the only light voice of the group, tired as it is.

"Kat," Jack begins from his end, "I'm sorry we up an left like that. I'm sorry we just left you and DC to base, and I'm really sorry for all the blame...y'know."

"Yeah," the rest of B–Squad mutters in regret.

"Forgiven," Kat smiles for the first time in a blue moon. "If krybot activity tomorrow is low I can be at Sky's base in the subway grand station, if you can make it. I should be able to give you the schematics so you can get your own up and running."

Doggie places his paw on Kat's shoulder, "this marks a new day for us—for Earth."


	10. The Cat Came Back 2

_The Cat's Still Back_

"Commander Cruger?"

Katherine winces at the tone in Robert's voice. As much as he is that sweet "nice guy" she knows that tone. It's the same tone he would always use when she said she was going to work late, or that kids could wait until they were both more stable in their careers. This tone means that he is not happy. "Robert, I know it's a lot to absorb, I'm sorry."

"Y–you're," Robert takes a moment to suck in a slow breath. "Katherine, how am I supposed to feel about this?"

"However you want, I know it's a shock, but we were going to have to have this conversation at some point. I mean, you've been gone for fifty years, Robert." Kat takes his hands in hers, and this, at least, is still easy. Out of everything this is the only thing that is easy. "I am so sorry, and anything you want to say, please."

"Okay," Robert runs a hand through his hair, letting his claws out for a bit. "How did this happen?"

"Doggie and I have been friends for years. We met because he was the one who found me after the destruction of our home. He rescued me as SPD. It wasn't long after that we started working together, and that was almost forty years ago. He's my best friend," Katherine pauses and dares to smile a bit, "and my fiancé."

"Your," Robert growls a bit, "you're engaged t–to that _Sirian_?!"

"Yes," Kat frowns, now, at the derogatory tone. "He's a good man, Robert, and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him."

Robert is still trying to process things. He pulls his hands from hers and begins pacing around. "This is, this is, uh, this too much. I mean, how can you, or, why did, no... "

"Robert, the thing to remember is that we haven't seen each other in half a century." Kat also stands, sensing this change in her husband's attitude. She knows where he's going and knows that it's not good.

"Does that matter? Katherine," Robert takes his wife's hands again and bends to one knee, the way he asked her to marry him a good hundred Earth years ago. "I love you, and we have a second chance at our marriage. We can get remarried, here on Earth, have some kits—"

"Robert," Kat's voice cuts his ranting firmly, leaving only silence in its wake. "Robert, we can't go on as if we've been together all this time. We've lived different lives for so long there's no avoiding it. You survived Felisia's destruction, and for that I am thankful, but now we are left with this. This is not easy, it's not simple. This is the remnants of a marriage that died with us. I wish things were better, but this is how it is, now."

"No, Kitty, we can," Robert chokes on his words, completely distressed at his wife's words. He attempts to move closer but he can feel her resisting him. Not that Kat was ever an open person, but her absolute reluctance is heartbreaking. He still looks at her and feels the love he felt for a Kat he met when they were barely out of adolescence. Now, though, he can see that this Kat has moved on. Her eyes are glassy and sympathetic, but they don't sparkle for him. The closest they've come to sparkling like he remembers is when she was thinking about this...Commander Cruger. "Katherine, please, can't we try to fix this? We can spend some time together, catch up, try to smooth things over."

"Robert, all the counseling in the world isn't going to change the fact that I am in love with Doggie," Kat takes on a new approach, almost impatient and exasperated. She knows, now is the time to be strict with Robert. Now is the time to assert that he might be her husband but he is no longer her mate—no longer her love. "He is the love of my life."

"Katherine," Robert sighs, eyes watering, "I love you."

"I've missed you, Robert, and I do love you, but I lost my husband fifty years ago." Kat brushes her hand against his double–speckled cheek.

"So, why not come back to me? Why can't we just stay together? Why can't you be my Kitty Kat again?" Robert kisses Kat's hands but he sees her grimace at the action. His ears lower out from his head. "You're really in love with this guy."

"Yes," Kat says without hesitation. "I'm sorry, Robert, but I do love Doggie."

Robert nods in resignation. "He's good to you?"

"The best," she nods and smiles warmly. "He proposed not long ago."

"How'd he do it?" Robert asks in an easier going tone.

"I woke up with the ring on." Kat smiles fondly at the memory and shrugs.

"A ring?" Robert quirks his eyebrows, finding the proposal odd, and without question.

Kat pulls at the chain around her neck, revealing a solid white gold ring, adorned in a center ring of diamonds. "We're going to start wearing them after the actual wedding."

"You always liked the simplicity of subtlety," Robert chuckles a little. He made a grand gesture, which Kat frowned upon. When he looks at Kat she's happy, and for a moment, he can pretend that he's just as happy as she is. "And you do seem happy."

"I am," she assures him.

"Then, so am I," he sighs through his petty jealousy. In complete honesty, he doesn't think he will ever think of Kat without complete adoration. He loves Kat, but he's willing to let her go for her own good. He can see genuine happiness shining in her, the way he remembers it back when they were first married. The resentment he feels towards the man bringing this happiness is not outweighed by the joy he feels at seeing Katherine happy. "We can stay friends, at least—keep in contact?"

"Of course," Kat nods with a small, profound smile, "I'd like that, Robert."

Robert pats Kat's hand but remembers not to cling too much. "I'll go through whatever legal procedure I have to, Kat. Just, tell me how I can help make you happy."

"I do love you, Robert, and I remember you like an old friend. I do miss you, but I am happy with Anubis," Kat allows a moment in which she nuzzles Robert gently. He begins purring and she purrs quietly in return. "Thank you, Robert, for being the wonderful man I married. I have missed you, and I would like to keep in touch, as friends."

Robert swallows down his anguish at being in the friend zone with his soon–to–be exwife. Still, he's willing to be her friend if it means still being with her in some way. "I love you, Kat."

Kat doesn't say anything, but nuzzles him once more before pulling back.

"Don't worry, I know," he nods solemnly. He collects himself in his mind, staring at where Kat has the strength to still lay her hand over his. He reminds himself that she is in love with a good man, and that he must support her...as her friend. "I'm glad we can be friends."

Doggie, listening from outside, silently thanks Robert for being supportive. He is willing to admit that he doesn't know if he would have the strength in himself that Robert demonstrates.

"This Doggie character must be something to have you all mushy," Robert smirks.

"He is," Kat nods and leans against him slightly.

"Could I win against him in a fight?" Robert smiles brightly, like his usual joking self.

"Not a chance," Kat laughs at the joke, soon joined by her old friend.


	11. Rank Reversal

_Rank Reversal_

"Commander Manx," Doggie Cruger nods to his boss upon entry to the Command Center.

"Lieutenant Commander Cruger, at ease," Commander Kat Manx smiles at her old friend. Doggie works directly under her as her body guard and second hand, as well as coordinating with her head technician, a man known only as "Boom".

"I wish I could find a way to convince you, Kat," Cruger begins, walking slightly behind his shorter comrade. She is shorter than his Sirian form, but not by much, as a tall, lithe Felid woman at almost five foot eleven. Her grace is unmatched by any being he has seen in any galaxy he has visited, and, in the privacy of his own mind, her beauty. Too often does he find himself admiring her elegance.

"Doggie, I told you, I have no business being a ranger. You're the Shadow Ranger, you belong in combat with our rangers," Kat looks up at her personal guard and best friend. "I'm not a ranger, Doggie."

"You could be, and you know it," he answers in a vaguely scolding motion. "I know Boom made you a morpher."

"Can we drop it, Doggie?" Kat sighs. Her reluctance is linked to the fact that how she became a Commander, through the final battle for planet Felisia, she laid down her Claws – steel blades worn over her natural claws – for the last time. If she becomes a ranger, she'll go back into combat—back to the front lines, to face her past.

"You can't avoid it forever, Kat," Doggie presses. Normally he wouldn't test his old friend, but this occasion warrants some force. "No one would be better."

"I said drop it, Lieutenant," Kat bites and walks ahead. She detects him following anyway, "you're dismissed."

"I can't be dismissed, Ma'am, I am to be by your side at all times," Doggie responds loyally. Not only as her body guard, but as her friend and someone who cares very deeply for her, he will not leave her side.

"Stubborn, old dog," Kat lowers her ears in displeasure, though she's secretly moved at her friend's dedication to her well being. Another part of her reluctance to go back into the field is the factor of conflict of interest. She cares deeply for her rangers, but she'd be able to control her protective instincts for them. For Doggie...she knows her urge to guard his well being would override her better judgement as unit Commander. If he were to...well, she can't allow that. Not only that, but Earth Gods forbid if he put himself in the line of fire to protect her.

"If I am a stubborn, old dog, what does that make you?" Doggie chuckles a little. They are both entirely serious people, but in most respects, he's the more likely to let down his guard, on the off occasion. He tends to be the lighter, though Kat has a motherly touch; "Kitty Kat?"

Kat makes a frustrated, feline sound, veering into Boom's lab to hide her blushing. Doggie has a way of getting under her fur that she can't seem to shake. He's her oldest and dearest friend, she can't be thinking of him like this! She's his boss, and he's her...very handsome, attractive, sexy, intelligent, valiant...I'm sorry, what did you ask?...

"Hey, Commander Manx, what's going on?" Boom asks brightly.

"How are things, Boom?" Kat asks for lack of a better sentence.

"Fine," he nods, noticing the woman's pinked cheeks. "Where's DC?"

Kat's blush doesn't recede any as she shakes her head, "just...taking a break."

"Have you thought about the Cat morpher at all?" Boom asks lightly. Commander Manx is a mechanical genius, and they share a close comradeship over their love of the sciences. He greatly admires her intelligence, and her ability to command respect.

"Boom, I told you, I don't belong in the field," Kat frowns at her younger colleague. She has mentored him personally for a number of years, but that doesn't mean he's immune to her piercing gaze. "I appreciate the gift but I'm not going into combat."

"You know, I don't think this is about you, or your rank, or position," Boom frowns. "I think you're afraid that you care too much about the rangers and DC; I think you're afraid that you'll be too protective of them in the field."

"Out of line, Boom," Kat hisses at him lightly in warning.

"You lost people of Felisia, I know that, but isn't that more of a reason to join in the fight against them again?" Boom insists.

"You are this close to an insubordination charge," Kat hisses and folds back her ears.

"You're a cold, stubborn, cat, you know," Boom storms out.

Kat, left alone in his lab, sighs to herself. Her recent nightmares of Felisia's fall have had her on edge, and now it's affecting those around her. She makes a mental note to apologize to him later as she goes back to her personal office.

"Commander Manx!"

Kat turns to her rangers, SPD's prized B–Squad. "Rangers, what's the matter?"

"It's, uh," Bridge cringes a little, "it's Lieutenant Cruger, Ma'am."

"What about him?" Kat's pupils thin to be slitted immediately, her natural reaction to bad news involving her old friend.

"He never came back from patrol, but at his station, we found this," Jack hands over the object left by a lone krybot.

Kat takes it without hesitation and places it on her console. A hologram comes up of Benaag, one of the Troobian Generals responsible for the destruction of her home. Kat growls and hisses at his image, "Benaag."

"Hello, Missus Manx—oh, wait, it's Miss, now, isn't it?" Benaag laughs cruelly at the reference to the personal murder of Kat's husband on Felisia. "I have another boy toy of yours."

"DC!" B–Squad sounds in distress for their friend.

Doggie is chained at the neck and caged within a forcefield, "Commander!"

"Silence, mutt!" Benaag snaps and presses a button. Doggie writhes in pain behind him. "This collar sends shocks directly into his nervous system. Fail to follow my instructions and he might suffer a lethal shock to his system. What do you think I used to kill your first love, Katherine?"

"Coward," Kat snarls at the hologram, "if you touch him—"

"Come to the old rock quarry and you may have your pet mutt back. If your rangers follow he'll be as good as dead before you see him again. Show up alone, Katherine, or you can say goodbye to the Sirian." Benaag waves in finality and the hologram ceases.

Kat picks the thing up and crushes it in her bare fist as if it were a kernel of popcorn. "Rangers, I'm going."

"No, Commander, it's obviously a trap!" Sky protests against his superior.

B–Squad joins in the objection but Kat turns on them sharply, "silence! I am going, you will remain here. Have Boom monitor the scene, but do not come unless I call for you: understood?"

B–Squad looks among themselves, unsure.

"Understood?" Kat repeats loudly.

"Yes, Ma'am," her Cadets respond to her faithfully.

"Good, now, go," Kat nods and they file out. Once they've gone she turns to her right, by her chair. There, sit her Claws, the traditional weapon of Felisian warriors. "I'm coming, Doggie."

"Hey, Benaag," Doggie calls to his captor. "What the hell do you hope to accomplish with this? Kat will be here shortly, and when she comes, you're going to wish I had killed you."

"Please, she couldn't even save her husband, what makes you think she's coming for you?" Benaag chuckles at the captive Sirian.

Doggie growls, though part of him has to acknowledge that Kat isn't likely to follow his instructions. He knows she will come, but if it's alone, or to fight, he must wonder.

"Benaag!"

Benaag and Doggie both look to the bottom of the quarry, where a lone figure stands. Benaag chuckles, "well, well, well, the little minx came after all."

"It's Manx, and if you hurt her," Doggie is silenced as another shock runs through him.

"I don't think you're in any position to be threatening, Doggie Cruger."

"Come out here, you coward!" Kat calls to the echoing quarry. Her fists are clenched at her sides, letting her Commander's coat blow around her openly in the wind. It reaches her calves, heavy and a luxurious black. Under it, she wears a black blouse and cargo pants, with heeled boots. She is small, but a force to be reckoned with. "I have come for Doggie! I've come to avenge my people, my home of Felisia...my husband!"

"I didn't think you'd come, Kitty Kat," Benaag laughs in the distance.

"Don't call me that," Kat spits in disgust.

"Aw, does only your little lap dog call you that? He'll be dead soon enough," Benaag jumps down to meet Kat, slashing his claws together. "Come to free him?"

"You told me to come to fight, so I came," Kat says evenly.

"You?—you're going to fight? I haven't seen you in action since the fated destruction of Felisia," Benaag chuckles as Kat's expression darkens at its mention. "You fought pretty hard, Manx, but you were no match for...well...you remember."

"Enough!" Kat silences him. She pulls out the Cat morpher, which she found at Doggie's station; figures he would keep it for her. She whispers her thanks to him in a moment before taking her stance. "SPD!—Emergency!"

"Cat Ranger!"

Benaag is surprised to see the lithe, feminine form clad in orange and white micromesh. Her gloves are equipped with her traditional Felisian Claws, ready for battle. Her head is protected by a dark visored helmet, spiked where her ears sit inside. "Ooh, you got a make over."

"Let's finish this, Benaag," Kat bares her Claws.

"Not so fast, Manx," Benaag summons a legion of krybots, "one hundred, to be exact. If you are able to defeat all of them and defeat me before Doggie's timer runs out, he'll live."

"Bastard!" Kat charges at Benaag on all fours, her Claws supporting her skeleton so she may do so in a completely natural motion. Some krybots block her path but she swipes them away easily. She continues to fight them off, making a significant dent in them. "You can't escape me, Benaag!"

Benaag doesn't answer but hesitates in the face of his adversary. He didn't expect her to be able to fight off his hundred krybots. "You won't save him, Katherine! You'll watch him die just as you did when I killed your husband!"

Kat doesn't dignify his manipulation with a response, but tears through more krybots. She catches sight of Benaag readying his gun. She skids to a stop on her claws and draws them just in time to catch the shot.

"You can do it, Kat," Doggie bows his head, hearing the timer on his collar counting down to zero, signifying his demise.

"You won't save him!" Benaag insists.

"I will," Kat says simply before deflecting the shot off her Claws. The solidification of laser energy hits the collar around Doggie's neck, destroying it. She swings the Claws to her side, reveling in the smoke hissing off them. "You have met your match, Benaag."

"You won't kill me," Benaag backs up now, pulling at every memory he has of Felisia he could use in manipulation. "Remember the promise you made to your husband: that you would never take a life in anger."

"He was not the only one to whom I made that promise," Kat says quietly, to herself. She remembers the day Doggie made her promise the same thing, in appeal to bother his and her compassionate sides. He told her that he didn't want her losing her sense of mercy, or gentility.

"_I don't want these beautiful hands to be tainted in bad blood," Doggie took her hands his paws and bowed his snout to them. "That is my job, to make sure you won't have to, Kat."_

"General Benaag, you are charged with the destruction of multiple planets as a Troobian leader; you are charged with kidnaping of an SPD officer, attempted murder in six quadrants, and the disappearance and murder of Robert Manx!"

Guilty.

"Containment!"

Kat catches the containment card with no small amount of satisfaction, though she does not smile. She does not acknowledge her rangers charging into the quarry or the realization that it's her as the Cat Ranger. She offers a prayer for her fallen people, home, husband. As she slides the containment card into her belt she walks to where Doggie lies, slowly. Her keen eyes pick up his minute breathing but it still sickens her to think about all this. It sickens her to think how he was hurt, almost killed, because of her, and her stubbornness. "Hello, my old friend."

"I'm not that old, Kat," Doggie wheezes, though its clear the collar has taken its toll on him. He lies limp, limbs splayed around him.

"Hush, Anubis," Kat whispers with the most gentle voice. She bends slowly, demorphed. Her hands go to his muzzle, which he lifts into her touch ever so slightly. Tears drop from her eyes, landing on his scales. "I'm so sorry, Doggie."

"I should thank you, Kat," Doggie sees her confusion and laughs slightly, "or should I say, I should thank Cat Ranger."

Kat also lets out a sardonic chuckle. "Cat Ranger is because of you, Doggie. Now, let's get you home."

She helps lift his large frame to his feet, and if she could carry him, she would. Her hand remains on his chest as he leans on her. "I'm all right, Kat," he insists.

"Are you sure?" she asks with deep worry in her voice. "The rangers are waiting, we'll have you back to base in no time."

"I'm okay, Kat," Doggie stops her just before they emerge from his containment cell and back into the light of day. "I promise, I'm okay."

"You wouldn't have been hurt in the first place if it weren't for me," she says quietly, downcast. "I told you it would be a mistake. I can't protect you—I was the reason you were almost..."

"Katherine," Doggie tilts her delicate little chin up, making her dazzling eyes meet his. "You can't blame yourself for this, Kat. I am glad you've faced your demons, and I'm glad that you made it out unscathed. I will be fine, Kat, and do you know why?"

Kat sniffs back her tears and shakes her head.

"I am fine, because I got to see you spread your wings again. You were here for me, and for Earth when we needed you most. You have proved time and time again why you are the Commander of Earth Base, and I am proud to call myself your guard...and your friend."

Kat is silent and teary as Doggie kneels to her, paws clasped around her hands. He lets his nose brush them in submission before kissing them; "Doggie... "

"Let's go home, Kat," Doggie straightens himself, though he lets Kat's arms remain around him in support, just as he lets himself lean over her frame just a bit. The warmth between them is comforting to the two.

"Yeah," she smiles up at her dearest friend and helps him out. As soon as they make it to the light the rangers are around them, checking on them both. They ask repeatedly if Doggie is okay, as well as Kat. They fawn over the appearance of Cat Ranger, and what it means for their squad. "B–Squad, please, our comrade is hurt, and needs to get back to base ASAP."

"Yes, Ma'am," Jack and Sky help Doggie to the jeep as Z and Syd strap themselves in. The boys climb onto their bikes while Kat climbs in back, laying Doggie's head on her lap.

"Kat," he coughs a bit.

"Hush," she lays a gentle hand on his snout, "we'll be home soon, old dog."

He smiles and takes her hand in his paw.

They both find it equally comforting.

"Commander, you need to stop pacing," Felix glances up from his station to where his friend and boss paces anxiously. "The tests are almost completed."

"I know, Felix, I know," Kat runs a hand through her curls. She glances back to where Doggie has yet to wake since they arrived. "I just wish I knew... "

"He should wake up any time now. There was no lasting damage to any of his systems that some rest won't fix." Felix hears Kat mutter something of the unlikeliness that Doggie will actually take a break. As she seats herself by her personal guard's side Felix remains silent.

"Come on, Doggie," Kat squeezes his paw. When she feels it squeeze back she perks, ears and all. "Doggie, can you hear me?"

"Kat," he responds, groggy, but there.

"Oh, thank goodness," Kat brings his paw to her lips and lays her head on his chest in a moment of emotion. She forgets herself as Commander for this moment and purrs into him.

"Kat," he says more dreamily now, placing a paw on her soft curls.

"I love you, you old dog," she whispers.

"I love you too," he rumbles deeply in his chest, quietly, by her ear.

Felix remains silent and pretends not to see anything. He pretends he's not witnessing his bosses professing their (entirely expected) love for each other in his infirmary.

"DC, you're okay!" Z, the first one in the door, declares gladly.

"Hello, rangers," Doggie greets them, chuckling at how Kat retreats, startled at the affectionate moment. He makes eye contact and chuckles more at Kat's brightly blushing cheeks.

"Glad to have you back, man," Jack nods, followed by his teammates.

"I am glad to be back," Doggie takes Kat's hand freely, who smiles at him in return.


	12. Rescue

_Rescue_

Doggie arrives on the smouldering ruins of Felis. All over, smoke wafts from the desolate remainders of a great planet and society. Nothing remains after the destruction left in the Troobians' wake. Massacre, he thinks to himself, walking cautiously. The rock is hot under his conditioned back paws, his claws dragging in the blood soaked ground.

"Help..." a voice comes.

He moves his ears carefully, pulling the voice's direction from the merciless wind current. Approaching a pile of rubble, he begins digging. He can smell fresh blood, as well as the gentle sweetness of a female. Rocks tumble over and soon he can see something. Being careful so nothing hits the body, he unearths a delicate Felid female. Her tiny body is battered and broken, blood seeping from the corners of her mouth and over her right eye. Brunette curls are ridden with grit and blood. Her pulse is weak, shown through the fading speckles of her cheeks, losing their color by the second. "Miss, can you speak?"

"Help," she repeats with all the little life left in her.

"Don't worry," he pulls her gently up into his arms. "I shall help you, Miss."

"Katherine," she whispers before licking her split lip.

"Miss Katherine," he rumbles softly before dashing off.

"Cruger, what've you found?" Birdie scowls at the approaching Sirian.

"A survivor," Cruger says as he stops in front of Birdie in a brief nod of salute.

"Nonsense, there are none," Birdie squawks harshly.

"There is," Cruger corrects him solidly. He reveals the weakened Katherine, wrapped in his coat for meager protection. When he looks up there is a profound deepness in his eyes. "There is always a survivor."

"Is she really alive?" Birdie demonstrates no tact as he approaches the woman with a judging gaze. "She doesn't seem it."

"I am," Katherine manages to pull herself from sleep to open her left eye at the Avian. In an instance her eyes are sharp again, glaring at him sharply. A slight hiss comes out in her burdened breath. "You found me earlier...and left me there."

"What?" Cruger growls angrily.

"She showed no signs of life," Birdie attempts to defend himself.

"Did you even check?" Cruger approaches Birdie but Katherine begins coughing. He spares his superior a final glare, "I'll be back."

"No," Katherine tries to protest as Doggie dashes away with her again, but blood spurts from her lungs into her palm.

"Don't worry, Katherine, I will protect you."

Katherine lies in her rescuer's arms, astounded at his gallantry. True valor she hasn't seen in ages, and now this stranger is risking his job to save her. She, the survivor, one of an entire planet, is close to death. She can feel the blood in her lungs and the toll it has taken on her body. Her life is with her because the final explosion threw her into the ruins rather than destroying her.

"Felix, we need help!" Doggie slides into Felix's tented infirmary. The beds are empty, although the bodies not yet in shallow graves fill the corners grimly.

"What's the problem?" Felix, a man rescued from a sub–branch of this planet, responds. He is somewhat Felid, like the inhabitants of this planet, but there are a few more of his kind who also survived. "What is that?"

"There's one left," Doggie sighs heavily as he deposits Katherine's slight form on the bed as gently as possible. She is still hacking blood as he moves his coat over her body like a blanket.

"This is serious," Felix goes to work examining the poor female. "Can you breathe?"

Katherine's only reply is a deep cough, straining her lungs, spurting vibrant, hot blood.

"Doggie, help me lie her back," Felix grabs some equipment as Doggie cares for the woman. The Sirian is careful with her to the point of ghosting his paws over her as if she'll burn him. He seems so sad as he handles her. "Where did you find her?"

"In the ruin of our base here. She works with SPD," he sighs as Katherine seems to calm in her position. "She seems so young...so small."

"She can't be more than 86 Earth years," Felix clarifies: "very young."

"Why is she the only one left?" Doggie curses himself and the Troobians as he looks around. The dead are piled high around them, including children.

"She's strong," Felix notes quietly, absently, "no doubt she's alive solely by willpower."

"Please," Katherine whispers hoarsely.

"Katherine," Doggie responds instantly, by her head and taking her hand.

"What is your name?" she looks at him with hazy eyes, sunken and dark.

"Anubis Doggie Cruger, Miss," he whispers to her.

"Thank you, Mister Cruger," she smiles weakly.

"No need to thank me, Miss, please, just rest," he brushes a paw over her curls.

"Tell me...is there anyone left?" she asks in a way that suggests she knows the answer.

Doggie hesitates visibly. Felix inserting an instrument to drain her lungs of blood buys him some time, but it could be months and he wouldn't find the words he needs. "I'm sorry, but no..."

"I'm the only one left," she sighs with a dark finality. A realization overtakes her softly, evening the resignation of her expression. "I am sorry, this must be hard for your to revisit."

There is no need for verbal confirmation that she refers to Sirius' destruction. The advancement of life in space doesn't guarantee peace, and the Troobians took perfect advantage of this. Their campaign of destruction has been spreading for quite some time, but they have yet to be stopped. It is a dark time in history.

"Miss, you must save your strength," Felix advises, though the beautiful Katherine's attention remains on Doggie.

"Katherine Manx, call me Kat," she says to Felix, with some strength regained in her speech. "I had a husband, but he was killed on the front lines two days ago."

"I'm sorry, Miss Manx," Doggie bows to her in a sign of respect and remorse.

"Never mind it," she shakes her head sadly. "You are my rescuer, Doggie Cruger."

"I am," he nods. Doggie is thoroughly surprised when Katherine lays a steady hand on his muzzle. Her eyes, bright and open again, shine emerald with admiration and gratitude.

"Thank you," she whispers with the deepest meaning.

Doggie takes the beautiful stranger's hand in his paw and kisses it chivalrously. "I wish...we could have done more to help."

Kat pats his paw with a grim, quirky smile for just a second. "Nothing to be done, now."

"Is there anywhere I can take you?—anyone I can notify?"

"No one," Kat lets her eyelids sink down. "I'm...the only one left."

"As am I," Doggie says before he can know why exactly.

"Well, then, might I come with you? There's..." Katherine looks around her. The sight of her comrades, her friends and family, wrapped in body bags and strewn about. A few are clearly younger than others and she has to look away. "There's nothing left here, for me. If I go elsewhere, at least I might continue to help."

"What is it that you do?" Doggie looks down at her as she coughs again, but only once.

"I'm a Doctor in bioengineering," she clears her throat and spits out a little blood.

"You shouldn't be traveling, Miss, at least for 48 hours," Felix corrects the two, not that he has been particularly involved with their conversation regardless.

"That will leave time for arrangements to be made," Kat notes distantly. She speaks with the detachment of a trauma victim, suitably numbed to that which happens around her.

"I am happy to take you with us, should you so choose, Miss Manx. We could use a research analyst for the time being, though you will have to work with Fowler Birdie, the Avian man from earlier." He chuckles a little at her look of displeasure. "I'm not a good friend of his, but he's an effective officer."

"I'm sure," she mutters as diplomatically as she can manage.

"Where would you like to end up?" Doggie asks as he pulls up a chair.

Kat seems to contemplate this seriously, "has SPD ever considered stationing on Earth?"

"Earth?" Doggie frowns but leans closer in intrigue.

"We've been doing research on my base here, and the data collected shows that there lies a huge potentiality with humans in genetic alteration."

"Humans," he tilts his muzzle at the woman. She nods, entirely serious. "I would be very interested in investigating this further."

"Well, if your superior officer gives me clearance, there's no real reason for me to stay here." Kat glances around again for just a moment. "The siege on our planet has been going on for a month without end. Our technological defense held up fine, but our forces were no match for them. Our warriors on the front lines were so outnumbered they were completely obliterated. Our strongholds were well protected but the Troobians used elements taken from planets far from our sector. It's been so long... "

Doggie watches memories flash behind her irises like a tragic movie. He knows how she feels because the same horrid memories pass through his eyes every minute of every day. He knows how the trauma haunts you and how it eats away at everything you are. In a moment he has taken her hands in his paws. "I will take you away from here, Katherine—from this hell."

"Doggie," Kat whispers at this man whom she has just met, yet feels she could not live without. In their brief time together she feels herself drawing to him, past her isolated nature and resistance against affection. Perhaps it's just a need for comfort, or an attempt for emotional distraction, but she wants to lie in his arms forever. She loves the warmth his paws offer her.

"Doggie, Commander Birdie wishes to speak with you," Felix announces upon return, though he doubts they noticed him leaving anyway.

"Tell him to wait," Doggie doesn't hesitate to say. He remains connected to Katherine, gazing at her tenderly. "Katherine, you should rest now. If you're to come with me as I continue on, you'll need your strength."

"Thank you," she leans in a bit. He seems receptive so she continues in and gives him a gentle nuzzling against his snout, purring softly. Before she pulls away she lays a gentle kiss on his cheek. A little shy at her forwardness, she lies back, blushing slightly.

Doggie remains by Katherine's side, stroking the back of her pale hand rhythmically. He remains entranced by the beauty of the Felid, vowing to take care of her for as long as she remains by his side. This, he considers, could be a considerably pleasant future.


	13. Amnesia

_Memories and Lack Thereof_

"You have no idea who I am," Kat sighs.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but no, I don't."

The rangers stand behind Kat, heartbroken at this latest event. They were out in the field and Shadow had taken some hard blows. When they got him back to the infirmary he had remained unconscious for quite some time. "You don't remember anything?"

"Forgive me," Doggie nods to the group of distraught adolescents. "The last I remember was being shipped off Sirius for my injuries. I thought I was on my way to Felis, but it seems I am now...on Earth?"

"Yes, sir," Kat nods with difficulty. Felix came and got her the moment Doggie woke, but it was then she found out he had signs of amnesia. As they investigated more into the confusion it seemed he didn't remember anything past the destruction of Sirius.

Doggie looks long and hard at the woman standing in front of him. Her, he knows, but can't for the life of him remember how, or why, so he stays silent. He figures: why make everyone more upset? They seem quite distressed as is, "you all know me?"

"Yes, sir," Kat speaks evenly again, going on a kind of autopilot. "You're Commander Doggie Cruger, sir, of course we know you."

The adolescents salute and Doggie nods them down, but he doesn't mention how he has only told two people in his life to call him "Doggie". One was his...late wife, the other...he can't remember. Given his inconsistencies perhaps it's this woman here...he hopes it is. "Thank you, for making me welcome here. I apologize for this mess."

"Don't," the Felid shakes her head, "just rest."

"Yes, Commander," Felix looks at Kat quickly, then to Doggie, "take all the time you require. You'll need my consent to leave the infirmary regardless."

"I see, thank you, Doctor Felix, and," again, Doggie stares into the eyes of the woman, "Doctor Manx."

Kat doesn't say anything this time, just nods while holding Doggie's intense stare. Her throat tightens, preventing her from speaking. Felix and the kids file out but she remains. He is still looking in her eyes. She can see him searching for things. "How are you feeling, Commander?"

"Please," he notes with no light intention, "call me Doggie."

Kat clamps down on a teary inhale, forcing herself to remain calm, "all right. How are you feeling...Doggie? This must be a lot to absorb."

"Well, yes, I suppose it is." His eyes turn darker and his expression changes. "What about you, though?"

"What about me?" she asks in avoidance. As she moves to his side to sit their instincts both show through, Kat sidestepping while holding his gaze and Doggie tracking her movement with his eyes and nose. She sits, somewhat distanced from his left side.

"I know you." He watches her reaction, and while she tries to hide it, he can see the microexpressions run across her face. He notices the slight perk of ears, and the twitch of her long, dark lashes. "I _know_ you know me, so I wish to know how."

Kat slouches a little, in sadness and relief. "I'm glad...you think you know me. The thing is, Doggie, is that I'm not sure jogging your memory is a good idea."

"How so?" he asks seriously.

"Well, an examination of your brain shows it's still reacting to the trauma in a physiological sense. If we distress your body in any way it could swell again, and that could cause serious damage," Kat sighs. "It's too dangerous to try and restore your memories, at least at the moment."

"I see," he nods. The woman seems so very saddened by this. It breaks his heart to see her so. "Are you all right, Miss?"

"Please," she returns with the same profound note he had held, "call me Kat."

"Kat, like Katherine," he tilts his head and allows for a small smile, "a beautiful name."

"Thank you," she looks down to her charts.

Doggie hears his heart monitor increase as he notices Katherine's cheeks turn pink, bringing out her speckles. She doesn't notice—goes straight to checking on his vitals and the equipment hooked up to him. While she does, he's only a little embarrassed to ogle her back end shamelessly. She discarded her lab coat earlier, he notices, as he stares at her hips, clad in black jeans. They look quite fetching—the jeans and the hips.

"Hm, I don't know what caused that," Kat murmurs to herself as all his vitals seem stabilized again. His heart rate is still a little higher than it was a moment ago but she can live with that. "Do you feel okay, Doggie?"

"Hm?" he looks up, for fear of getting caught staring. She doesn't show signs of offense so he pretends it never happened. "Yes, I feel fine."

"Okay, then," Kat sits herself down again. She becomes a little melancholy once seated, staring at Doggie with a sadness. "I'm sorry we can't do more for you."

"Well, if I cannot regain my memories until later I suppose I should just wait patiently for the time to come," he sighs wisely. "At least I have pleasant company."

Kat feels her heart flutter and smiles genuinely at him. "I"m happy to be here for you."

"Kat, the rangers are asking for you," Felix comes in and basically trades places with her. When he looks back to the Commander his eyes are glued to Kat's tail end with a fascination he has yet to see anywhere else. "Been talking to Miss Manx?"

"Yes," Doggie clears his throat, embarrassment hot under his scales at being caught. "She's a remarkable woman."

"Yes, she is," Felix comes beside Doggie with a look of scrutiny. "You don't remember her at all?"

"Well, I know that I know her, but I can't remember," Doggie growls, deeply troubled by this. "I wish I had some memory of her, or how I know her, but, nothing comes."

"You do know her," Felix sighs. "I shouldn't be telling you, but you already know, so... "

"I do know her?" Doggie perks quickly and obviously.

"Yes," Felix nods. "You rescued Kat off Felis' destruction and brought her to Earth, where you two built this SPD Earth base from the ground up. You've been colleagues, comrades, _friends_, for a good fifty years now. Kat is your best friend and most loyal follower, sir."

Doggie nods, absorbing this. That explains why there's a Felid here at all, no less why she's the only one. Still, something isn't right, "it's not just that, though."

"What do you mean?" Felix asks deeper this time, fully intrigued.

"I mean, I don't just know her from that," Doggie frowns.

"How would you know?"

"I just do!" Doggie barks at Felix impatiently. "I can't explain it, but I know Kat somehow else, too. She's...I... "

Felix watches the Commander wrestles with himself. He growls and clenches in frustration, physically trying to force his memories to resurface. "Commander, calm yourself."

"No!—I know Kat," Doggie growls louder, still persisting.

"Doggie, stop it!"

The Sirian looks up as Kat dashes over to him from the door. Light headed from his exertions, he witnesses things like a dream. He sees Kat's worried face, registers her delicate hand on his chest and shoulder, easing him down. She's like an angel, he thinks. She is a beautiful, angelic martyr. Finally, the world stops spinning and leaves only her in his view, "Katherine?"

"You should rest," she whispers, placing a hand on his paw.

Doggie only nods and moves his ears in apology. Hers move unconsciously into a forgiving position. He smiles at her, "thank you, Katherine."

"Don't mention it," she smiles and sighs, still slightly sad in the action. When he has closed his eyes she looks at Felix, "what happened?"

"I was telling him of your history," Felix admits quietly.

"What?!" Kat hisses, "you could have killed him!"

"Kat, he knows he knows you, anyway! If it's any consolation he didn't get all worked up because he doesn't know you." Felix runs a stressed hand through his scraggy hair. "I told him of how you've been friends and how you've worked together for years, but it wasn't enough. He kept insisting he knows you else wise...does he?"

Kat turns rosy at her colleague's smirk, "we, um, well...yes."

"All I have to know," Felix waves off, sparing Kat from the embarrassing details of their intimate relationship. "I always had my suspicions."

"It wasn't until recently," she admits after some hesitation. "I can't believe he knows."

"If it's any other consolation, I also caught him staring at your ass quite freely," Felix smirks wider. "I haven't seen that level of concentration on anyone but you...when you're looking at his."

"Shut up, Felix," Kat rolls her eyes in a perfectly conscious act of immaturity. This man is like her brother, but she is still technically the elder of them.

Doggie smiles in his faking of sleep, quite glad to know that there's a reason he knows this beautiful not–quite–stranger. Looking up at her now he makes a rumbling in his chest, which captures her attention, "you and I...are mates?"

Kat blushes red again, under Felix's teasing and how suggestive but sweet the term is. "Yes, you could, um, you could say that."

"I'm glad," Doggie takes Kat's hand in his paw and lets his heavy head rest. "I'm glad there's a reason I know you. I'm glad...there's a reason I find myself so in love with you."

"Doggie," Kat whispers in absolute adoration. They hadn't even exchanged those words in their conscious relationship. "I love you too."

Doggie moves and Katherine automatically moves into him in unison. He uses the opportunity to give her cheek a gentle lick. She purrs and nuzzles him lovingly. He nuzzles back.

"Aw!—did the Commander get his memory back?" Syd coos from the doorway.

"Not quite, but it's a work in progress," says Felix."

"So, those two," Z gestures awkwardly.

"Yep," Felix suffices to say as they continue their affectionate ministrations.

"What are they doing?" Jack asks, completely freaked out.

"Nuzzling, it's a form of affection in Sirians and Felids. For Sirians, it's only for one's mate, while Felids nuzzle all loved ones. This, though..." Felix blushes, "is further from cuddling..and more the affectionate equivalent of what you might call a 'make out session'."

"Oh!" Bridge's eyebrows shoot a mile high, "so, they're...canoodling."

"Let's leave them be, for now," Sky leads them out with a slightly uncomfortable smile.


	14. Apocalyptica 2

_Post–Apocalypse_

Kat shoots up in her sleep, a cold sweat shining on her brow and her lungs, constricted. Once again nightmares have plagued her; nightmares of the death toll and how much of it is her fault (allegedly and actually). She sighs and holds her head.

"Kat," a gentle whisper, "are you okay?"

"Yes, Doggie," she whispers back but doesn't turn to him.

They've been sleeping in their mineral deposit office for some time now, but recently they took to sleeping closer together—back to back, but still. Kat finds it comforting to have him there, and while neither acknowledges it the next morning, more often than not they roll over and end up holding each other.

"Try to sleep," he whispers delicately, "we have a big day trying to get to the rangers."

"I know," she whispers and lies back down. The dirt is cool, but soft; Doggie has done his utmost to dig out a kind of bed for them. The dirt has been upturned and down and up again, rid of rocks and roots. It's not much, but it's a small luxury. Kat nuzzles the bundle of spare cloth that acts as her pillow in attempt to comfort herself. She assures herself that she's fine, and that she's only trembling because she's a little bit cold.

Doggie feels Kat trembling beside him. His heart thuds horribly at the distress of his...Kat. The chain of command post–apocalypse has been questionable, but he is still the Commander, and Kat is still his right hand. In a way, this makes her the kind of queen of their underground, and he makes sure their followers act accordingly. Kat is taken care of as well as she will allow. He makes sure she gets sleep, takes night patrol (her eyes work to her advantage while the darkness hides her slight form) and eats enough. He dug out their makeshift bed solely because he knew how uncomfortable she was sleeping in a ball in the gravel patch. They had been sleeping on opposite sides of the mineral deposit, but once Kat's nightmares got to the point of night terrors he made sure they were in a position where he could help her if need be.

Kat is shocked when Doggie consciously rolls over and takes her into his arms. He lets his nuzzle brush the back of her neck and she's embarrassed at her immediate purring in reaction. They both remain silent, pretending they're both asleep, for both of their sakes.

"Kat," Doggie whispers against her hair, growing quickly around her collar bone. "I like it when you roll over in the night."

Kat debates answering for too long and Doggie's breathing seems to steady. Once she's fairly certain he's asleep she sighs quietly, "me too."

Doggie smiles in his charade of sleep.

"Doggie," Kat mumbles in her sleep, waking after a fitful night of consciousness. She's aware enough to know she fell asleep, and to know that she is firmly held in Doggie's arms. "Doggie, we have to get up, it's almost dawn."

He growls at her and brings her tighter, protectively.

In the simple moment, Kat allows herself to feel the lightness of frivolity. She takes a moment to seem embarrassed at her spike in heart rate and wriggles a bit. "Doggie, we have to meet the rangers in Sky's sector."

"Mm," he blinks his haunted blue eyes open slowly. His nose immediately picks up Kat's scent, who, even living underground for two months, smells like flowers (maybe that's just the soil) and honey. Well, despite the lack of sun, she still looks positively beautiful. "Kat, what's going on?"

"It's almost dawn," she says, "if we're going to move it has to be now."

Doggie nods and releases her from his grasp, not mentioning it in the least. She stands and he turns as she changes her clothes. That was something that took some getting used to when they first started essentially living together in a hole. She tells him he can turn again and she keeps her back turned as he also changes. For him it's a simple matter of finding a jacket, but it's a bit of a morning routine, for lack of something better. He pulls on his satchel and finds Kat has done the same; "ready?"

Kat nods and follows him up the tunnels. They walk silently, up and out of the underground hangar, and into the ruins of NewTech. Dusk is approaching but it's still dark enough that Kat has the advantage of nightfall. "Follow me."

Doggie does so silently as Kat navigates flawlessly. Krybot patrol is lightest in the night, and the shift of troupes around dawn works best to their advantage. She has done night recon so many times she knows exactly when and where things happen. From one wall to the other, Kat dashes back and forth, avoiding the view of the odd krybot. Soon enough they've reached the entry to the old subways. Kat descends the crushed in stairs by sliding, followed by Cruger.

"It's Kat and the Commander!"

When Kat and Doggie reach the inner tunnel they see their rangers waiting for them. Kat hesitates for all of half a second in stride. It's imperceptible to everyone but Doggie. He notices. Although she seems nervous she sees their smiles and relaxes a bit, "hello, rangers."

"Kat!" Z and Syd run to the older woman easily and hug her tightly. "We've missed you!"

"We've all missed you," Sky says first, coming to envelop them all in his arms. Jack and Bridge follow suit. "It's good to see you, Kat."

"It is good to see you, rangers," Kat whispers quietly. As they let her go and move to greet Cruger, she firms her resolve. "I've missed you all, but we need to look at this."

"Right," Bridge nods and Sky leads them down a tunnel. "So, how are things in your sector?"

"Things are better than they've been, thank you," Doggie nods. Even in this easy air of conversation his body is tense, ready to protect Kat in an instance.

"How are _you_?" Bridge asks again, a deep emphasis on them. His eyes are as sad as they've seen them, and they are, for the most part, directed at Kat.

"I'm fine," Doggie looks at Kat for her report.

Kat looks at her rangers, who look at her pleading eyes, asking her to relieve their consciences. Her eyes turn tender and she tilts her head like she did in the good old days, "I am fine as well, thank you."

"That's good to hear," Jack says meaningfully as they continue.

"We're here," Sky announces. They arrive at the end of the tunnel where several others meet. There, several mulling bodies move about like ants performing menial tasks. They seem in fair condition, given what's happened. Most of them are cadets, with a few citizens. "Blue Sector, we have guests."

"Welcome," they turn and bow.

"Figures, even in this hell you've managed to make a structured set of regulations," Syd smiles at Sky fondly before walking in ahead. "A table?"

"Yes, Ma'am," a boy nods and gestures for two others to bring over a light table. They also bring over rocks to hold open papers.

"Here," Kat lays down her schematics for the homemade satellite monitor she made. "It took me quite a while, but now that I know what works, it should be easier for you."

"Bronze, Silver, Gold, here!" Sky barks into the darkness. Three boys, all dark haired, come scurrying out. "Can you find the things on this list?"

Bronze looks at the paper briefly, committing the components needed to his memory. "We can be back in thirty minutes, tops."

"Good lad," Sky pats the young boy on the back. "Doctor Manx here needs them."

Kat looks at the three young boys who turn their gazes to her. She immediately allows herself to smile at them warmly, gently; "hello, boys."

"Are you going to help us beat the Troobian bastards?" Gold asks genuinely.

"Language," Sky scolds his young charge, "you don't speak like that—not to a lady."

"Sorry," Gold nods to Sky then bows to Kat. "You're the engineer of SPD, right? You're the reason we held out as long as we did."

"You could say that," Kat's smile turns sad.

"Thank you, Miss," Gold, Silver and Bronze all bow to her chivalrously. "We've heard great stories about you: the queen of SPD Earth!"

"That's very kind, boys," Kat bends to them, now, so she may come close to looking them on an equal plain. "What you're getting these for is to make a satellite monitor. Once we have eyes on the surface, we can calculate our next move. I've been collecting intel, and once the new year comes, Omni will need to recharge before moving on to other planets. It's then: that is our chance to reclaim Earth."

The boys look at her wide eyed, amazed at this story of hope. Smiles come to them and they salute to her crisply. "Leave it to us, Miss, we'll get them for you!"

"Thank you, boys," she ghosts her hand over their heads before they scamper off. She turns to Sky, Bridge and Jack; "they remind me of three other boys I knew."

"Who?" Bridge asks and tilts his head.

"Never mind it," she shakes her head. "Once the satellite uplink is finished we won't have much time. The new year comes in seven days, and it'll take you at least two to get the necessary correlating data."

"You said you'd gathered intel—how?" Z frowns.

"During night recon, it's easy to sneak around their base camps. I've collected enough data to know that Omni will be running dry in six days. On the seventh, he will need to be recharged for a full twelve hours. That's our only window of opportunity." Kat speaks seriously, ignoring Doggie's unpleasant discovery of her endangering herself on a nightly basis.

"How to get to him, though," Jack frowns as well.

"Grumm will be his primary guard," Doggie speaks up now, "I will face him."

"Not alone," Syd joins in.

"Yes, alone," he corrects her. "I will face Grumm while you destroy Omni's center. Kat will accompany you."

"What if..." Bridge looks on curiously. When Kat and Doggie both bow their heads he understands. "This was the plan from the very beginning."

"No," Sky whispers in denial.

"There isn't much of an option. We have a limited number of people for the job as is and we cannot afford to divert your forces any. This is simply how it must be," Doggie's gruff voice rumbles over their grim silence. "It has been decided."

"You can't be okay with this," Jack calls Kat out, who struggles.

"Of course I'm not!" Kat reels, the only time the rangers have ever seen her snap at anyone. In a moment, she collects herself again, and an all encompassing sadness takes over her. "I wish there were another way, but this is the only chance Earth has. If there's anyone who can defeat Grumm... "

Doggie meets Kat's eyes. He knows first hand how hard this is for her. When they first devised that he would have to face Grumm alone she had come quite close to having an absolute fit. Her hair had stood on end and she began hissing uncontrollably. Still, the more they went over it the more it became clear that it was their only option. She went over things again and again... "This is the only way."

"There has to be some other," Jack receives suffocating silence in return. He runs a hand through his hair. "If you face Grumm alone, what about us?"

"You will have Kat with you. She will take care of the technicals that you cannot. Plus, if there is any reason you need assistance in combat, she will be able to help." Doggie knows Kat is not one for front line action, and since the Command Center was overrun it's a particular sore spot. However, she's willing to go back, for her rangers.

"You're not very optimistic about coming back," Z bites, though there's a trembling in the back of her sarcasm that betrays her.

"I'm afraid we have to look at things in a worst–case–scenario perspective, Z" Doggie sighs. "Regardless of my outcome, Grumm must be eliminated. If he is allowed to live he will just escape and rebuild Omni again, even if you were to succeed. They both must be destroyed."

"The Commander has made his orders clear," Kat speaks firmly, in hopes it will snap her Cadets back into some rigidity. "They're beyond contestation."

"Yes, Ma'am," they nod at her sadly. They wish to argue, but they know that if Kat could, she would have stopped him by now. This plan in its solidity only means that there really is no other possible option.

"Miss!—we have the parts!" Gold, Silver and Bronze come running back, satchels and pockets full of machine parts and wiring. "We have the satellite parts!"

"Good work, boys," Sky congratulates them.

"Thank you," Kat nods to them as they pile things by her feet. "That was quick."

"We know our way around, Miss," Gold scratches the back of his neck bashfully.

"Good thing," she smiles and begins digging through the parts. "These are in excellent condition. I should be able to get this working by sundown."

"I can help," Bridge announces to no one in particular and bends to her.

"Doggie, you should go back home, they might need you there," Kat looks up at him. "We didn't leave much protection for them with both of us absent."

"You're right, I suppose," he nods. He looks at the rangers, who react to the look by pretending to admire the ceilings of the tunnels and whistling no particular tune. A little self–consciously, he bends to Kat and places a paw on her shoulder. "You'll not come back unless it's nightfall or you have someone accompanying you, yes?"

"Doggie, I'll be fine," she scolds him lightly, though she lays her hand over his paw, per usual. "I promise; I'll contact you when I'm done here and on my way."

"Very well," still quite aware of the rangers he lays his muzzle against the pulse of her throat and feels her purr in return. It assures him that she is alive and well. "I'll wait at home."

The rangers turn once they hear his paws on the dirt of the tunnels. Kat gazes after him lovingly, like the good old days. They smile: "glad to see you two haven't changed."


	15. Meet the Manxes

_Meet the Manxes_

"Anubis Cruger, sir," Doggie bows to the father of his academy sweetheart, Katherine.

"Ah, yes, come in, my boy," a tall, dark haired man examines him closely. The man has dark green eyes, grey hair peppering his beard, matching the pale brown of his speckles. "Katherine has told us all about you, I'm glad we get to finally meet in person."

"As am I, sir," Doggie nods nervously. Kat warned her father could be...hard to approach. Especially considering that he – Kat's father, Kain – was raised in a different time; his opinion of Sirians is not the best. It's not bad!—just not the best.

"Kate, come, meet Kat's...boyfriend," Kain spits this word out with a particular distaste.

"Oh, yes, Doggie, we've heard wonderful things," Kate greets happily. She is as dignified and regal as Kat, tall and lithe. Her beauty is breathtaking, and she looks enough like Kat to be a twin from the future. "I'm Kat's mother, Kate, and you've met my overprotective husband."

"A pleasure, ma'am," Doggie kisses the back of her hand.

"You are a gentleman," Kate giggles happily, "Kat's been just starry–eyed since you two began your relationship. I've never seen her so happy."

"If Kat's happy, I'm happy," Doggie smiles shyly, "ma'am."

Kate looks nothing short of pleased as her giddy expression softens to a more serious one, "I am glad to hear that, Anubis."

"If Katherine weren't happy," Kain leans in close, showing off his sizeable alpha–male fangs, "we would have a serious problem."

"Father, you promised you would be nice," Kat pouts from the stairway.

"Kat," Doggie stares at his dearest as she descends the stairs as if walking on air. He gets up and bows to her, offering a subtle wink, "you look beautiful."

"Thank you, Doggie," Kat blushes at the wink and at her parents' reaction. "I take it you've met my parents."

"Yes, but he hasn't met—"

"DINNER!"

"Oh, no," Kat smacks her forehead.

"What?" Doggie frowns.

"You haven't met my siblings yet. My mother had a letter of five, and I'm the only girl." Kat rolls her eyes and takes Doggie by the paw, leading him to the dinner table. "Brace yourself; you're about to meet my four brothers."

"I'm sure it'll be fine," he assures Kat, though he himself is hesitant. He knows Kat is the youngest, and that the men in her life are all equally protective of her.

"Well, well, well," one brown haired Felid man turns, "hey, Kitty Kat."

"Kenny," Kat murmurs politely with her head ducked.

"Hey, Katherine," a lighter brown haired man also greets.

"Kenton," she repeats in the same tone, seating herself and Doggie.

"So, this is Kitty's boyfriend," a slightly ginger Felid greets.

"Kelvin," she growls.

"Doggie Cruger," the fourth, oldest brother has almost black hair, standing the tallest.

"Kyle," Kat looks at her oldest brother, always the most sympathetic towards her.

"It's very nice to meet you all," Doggie nods to each individually.

"Ooh, what a gentleman," Kenny mocks Kat's usual swooning.

"Boys," Kate scolds and they immediately quiet. Everyone seated, she begins nudging food towards her kits. "Doggie, I prepared a beef stew, I hope you enjoy."

"It smells delicious, Missus Manx," he smiles, actually salivating at the scent.

"Call me Kate, Doggie," she smiles.

"So, Doggie, what are you studying at the academy?" asks Kain.

"I am in the active duty classes, so I may be shipped to the front lines afterwards," Doggie speaks honestly. When he sees Kain bristle he continues, "however, I've looked into other possibilities lately. I've found that a commanding rank might serve my career better in the long run, plus...I could stay with Kat."

"Aw!" Kate gushes shamelessly, to her daughter's chagrin.

"Aw!" the brothers also coo, though in a more mocking tone.

"Cut it out!" Kat snaps at them in annoyance.

"Oh, you should have heard her before you guys were actually dating," Kenny begins with a mouth FULL of food. "She'd do nothing but giggle about you for hours on end!"

"Mm, I know," Kenton agrees, also chewing, "she was so smitten I swore that she'd spontaneously explode."

"She'd come home," Kelvin takes on a dreamy expression and forces his voice an octave higher, "ooh, Doggie is so sweet, and smart and soooooooooooo handsome!"

Kat doesn't dignify their teasing response but shoves some stew into her mouth, pretending she's not flushed scarlet. She doesn't see Doggie looking at her adoringly.

"A bigger crush was never had in all the galaxy," Kyle notes, slightly teasing but clearly the most mature of his brothers. His demeanor is more like his parents' and Kat's—he is calm and sophisticated seeming. "Our little sister is quite taken with you, Doggie."

"As I am with her," Doggie answers easily. As he meets Kyle's eyes he feels the older brother square him up, hissing at him in his mind.

"Enough—boys, chew your food," Kain orders strictly, "we have a guest."

"Yeah, Kitty's boyfriend," Kelvin, the second oldest, chuckles, though he also turns serious in the eyes as he looks at Doggie.

"Never thought we'd see the day," Kenton and Kenny, both in unison.

"You thought I'd be single my whole life?" Kat challenges with a finely raised brow.

"Well, for a considerable while," Kelvin shrugs innocently, though he's elbowed by Kyle, "I just mean, you're our baby sis, Kat."

"I'm not a baby," she sighs patiently. She does love her brothers, teasing aside, and she knows just how protective they are. "Unlike those two, I am not a child."

"I guess not," Kelvin smiles at Kat the way she knows he adores her.

"Can you believe it, Kent?" Kenny turns to the brother who is basically his other half, "Kitty's all grown up."

"Break your heart, it will," Kenton nods to Kenny with a smirk.

Kate extends her claws at her boys and wags a finger at them, "boys, behave."

"Heh, sorry," Kenny smiles and shrugs at Doggie, "so, what's your deal, anyway?"

"My...deal?" Doggie asks.

"What are you doing with our sister?" Kenny is smiling a carefree, toothy grin, but his eyes are sharp and accusing. "You a nerd like she is?"

"Kat is in three of my classes, and we met as lab partners for our advanced technical class." Doggie smiles, though his eyes are also hardened. "She blew me away as it was, then I got to know her and how could I not fall in love with her?"

"Aw!" Kate gushes again; "Kain, you used to be romantic like that."

Kain blushes and clears his throat, "well, having four boys will beat that out of a man."

"Right, and I'm afraid that Katherine is the only girl in your heart now," Kate teases her husband. Still, they share a loving gaze and smile warmly.

"Your family likes to tease," Doggie whispers to Kat.

"It's in our genus," she shrugs sheepishly, "I'm sorry."

"No," he shakes his head, "I like them."

"You have got to be kidding," Kat seems in awe, especially after seeing Kenny and Kenton fling peas at each other. "Come on, are you guys, like, two?"

"Two dashing, daring ragamuffins, of course," they stick their tongues out at Kat.

"Immature," Kelvin chuckles regardless.

"My word was idiotic, but sure," Kyle sneaks behind a discreet sip of stew.

"Doggie, would you like seconds?" asks Kate.

"Oh, I couldn't, thank you," Doggie smiles and nods. He turns to Kat, "Kat?"

Her family watches with surprise as Kat hands her cup to him wordlessly; he fills the cup with the milk from the jug and hands it back to her, taking the napkin for him extended in her hand. She takes a drink and he dabs his muzzle in synchronicity. The family looks amongst itself. Kat has never gotten along exclusively well with—well, with anyone. Now, she has a man with whom she's willing to have physical contact and she lets him touch her glass of milk!

"Mm, Doggie, isn't your Siriutsu class starting in twenty minutes?" Kat looks at him and his watch, dabbing her lips for milk.

"Oh, yes, thank you," he smiles. "I apologize—"

"Must be off, don't worry, Kat told us you teach a martial arts class," Kate smiles.

"Very impressive," Kain notes offhandedly.

"Cool," the boys mutter under their breath, as if unwilling to let show their impression.

"Thank you very much for the meal, it was nice to meet you all," Doggie holds his paws to his sides and bows.

"Nice to meet you," Kate waves as she begins clearing the table with Kat's help.

"Doggie, my boy," Kain pats the lad's shoulder. He looks at the Sirian long and hard, "you claim to be in love with my daughter?"

"I don't claim to be, sir," Doggie stands at attention, "I _am_ in love with her."

"Really?" Kain is still suspicious.

"Sir," Doggie looks Kain dead in the eyes, "I would like very much to marry Katherine, someday, when you grant me permission to ask her. I wish to be with her for the rest of my life."

Kain's expression changes. At first it is dark, then it becomes nothing short of impressed and vaguely grateful, "very well, son. I look forward to the day that question must be asked."

"As do I," Doggie nods and Kain takes his leave, "sir."

"Well, it was very nice to meet you," Kyle shakes Doggie's paw and leans in. "I do like you, but make no mistake, if Katherine suffers any unhappiness you _will_ wish for death to save you from me."

"Understood," Doggie actually smiles back at Kyle, appreciative of Kat's favorite brother.

"Nice to meet'cha, kid," Kelvin smiles frivolously before also leaning in. "Kat's a good kid; you take good care of her...or I'll have your heart roasted on a spit.

"I will," Doggie smiles at this brother as well.

"All right," Kenny and Kenton both approach with relaxed poses. They check over their shoulders – Kat's distracted – before pouncing on Doggie, pinning him to the wall. "Kitty may be all grown up but she'll always be our baby sister; know what that means?"

Doggie remains silent and serious. He doesn't fight as each brother pins an arm of his.

"If you ever hurt her, in any way," Kenton growls.

"We'll kill you before you can beg for mercy," Kenny hisses.

Doggie, calm and composed, "I understand."

"Good," they speak together again, releasing their guest, "just don't tell Kat we did this."

"Did what?" Kat frowns behind them, hands on her cocked hips.

"Nothin', Kitty Kat," the brother pass her, ruffling her hair together and going with their other brothers to help their mother with the dishes.

"I swear, those guys," Kat mutters, straightening her hair again. She steps onto the welcome mat and bounces on the balls of her feet a little. When she looks up at him she's shy. "I hope you didn't mind my family too much, I tried to warn you."

"Not at all, I quite enjoyed them," Doggie smiles and chuckles deeply in his chest. "Your brothers are quite fascinating."

"That's a word for it," she mutters. "I know they must have threatened to break your back if you hurt me, or whatever."

"I appreciate their looking out for you," he assures her with a warm smile. He leans in a little and she blinks at him. "I had a wonderful time."

"Good," she whispers, heart pounding against her chest bone loudly.

"I'd love to do this again," he whispers back, still approaching slow as molasses.

"Mm," she agrees, short of breath as he gets closer and closer.

"Good night, Katherine," he kisses her lips gently. It is sweet and meaningful, if brief.

"We should definitely do this again," she bites her lip, eyes overflowing with happiness.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he winks and steps out the door. He waves at the family in the kitchen, who wave back. Just loud enough for them to hear, he says to Kat, "I love you."

"I love you, too," Kat whispers as Doggie closes the door gently, wind blowing around her. She stands there, watching him dash down her walkway, "I love you, too."

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

"Kitty's in love!"

"That's adorable!"

"Guys, leave her be...you can read about it in her diary, later."

"Boys!"

Kat ignores her family behind her, still smiling like an idiot as the retreating form of her "boyfriend" disappears into the night. Her eyes linger where he was moments ago, "he loves me."

"He does, indeed," Kain says deeply. His eyes hold a happy profanity. "You never think anyone will be good enough for your baby girl, until one is. That young man...he is a good man, Katherine."

"I know," she smiles, voice matching the seriousness of her father's and the atmosphere.

"Don't let him go, sweetie," Kain pats his daughter's shoulder gently, one of the most affectionate things he can manage. Without another word he starts up the stairs.

"I won't," she sighs in a most lovesick fashion.

"You'll marry him," Kate whispers to her daughter as she joins her husband, "just wait."

Kat waits until her brothers are gone and parents are upstairs, still smiling, "I can't."


	16. Apocalyptica 3

_At the End of the Day_

"_Promise me you'll come back," she says as they sit atop their dirt mound. _

"_You know I can't promise that, Kat," he begins to say but she stops him. _

"_Promise me you'll come back _to me_," she swallows, "one way or another." _

_Doggie squeezes her hand in his paw, neither looking at each other, "I promise."_

Kat awakens to bustling noises. Her right temple feels as if it has an arrow through it. The entirety of her body throbs, but she finds something in that. Her right hand is warm, gently so, and gently enclosed in something. When she looks to her right she chokes on a breath, but smiles.

Doggie lies in the bed beside her, chest going up and down in painfully slow movements. Still, it's something, she reminds herself. Her hand is held firmly in his paws. From his jaw hanging open a little she can see one of his fans has broken in half. She also remembers...

"_Doggie," Kat limps to her friend. After disposing of Broodwing and ensuring her kids were all right she took off, seeking her soulmate. She finds him, bleeding out on the ground, a horrible wound ripped through his abdominal muscles. A spurt of blood comes from within her and she coughs it onto the ground before kneeling by him. _

_She takes his paw in her hand and holds it, checking for a pulse. It's weak, but so is hers. Neither of them have much longer. "Doggie, wake up. Grumm, and Omni, they're both gone. Our kids are safe, Earth has its protectors." _

"_Kat," Doggie manages to groan. The effort is rasped and he is weak. _

"_Sh," she whispers and kisses his paw. She manages to purr weakly against it and lie beside him. "We did it. We can rest now."_

"_Kat, no," he tries to push her away. He tries to tell her so many things, but his body won't move, and he can feel her warmth leaving her. _

"_I love you," she whispers, and he knows she's crying. _

_He thinks he might be crying too as he slips away. _

Doggie wakes remembering that one moment, holding her in his arms, crying. He remembers that he never said he loved her too, and ironically enough, his first thought is on how rude of him that was. He immediately recognizes it is her hand in his paws, held firmly. It takes too much effort to acknowledge the world right now, though. All he can do is lift his leaden eyes to Katherine, who gazes at him with the same love as before all this catastrophe. She lies in a bed similar to his. Her left arm is in a makeshift sling and there's an awful splotch of clotted blood above her right eye. Her imagines there's a crack in her helmet where she was struck.

"_We're losing them!" someone shouts. _

"_Get me more gauze!" calls another person. _

"_Kat," Doggie moans, still feeling her hand in his paw, though it's colder now. _

"_It's okay," that...that's Bridge! "You're both gonna be fine!" _

"_Come on, DC," that's Z. _

"_Her pulse is almost gone!" this, Doggie understands. _

"_Save her," he rasps, feeling her hand become more and more cold. _

"_She's losing too much blood from her head wound!" _

_Doggie summons all the strength he has left and rolls toward her. They're in the same cot; they couldn't separate him from her, he guesses. Without another thought he licks the nasty cut above her right brow. As soon as the blood is gone they can see it closing up. Some more blood escapes but it dries almost right away. _

"_We're getting her back," the first person breathes in wonder. _

"_Good," he sighs and leans back, ready to die if Katherine lives. _

"_No, DC, you've gotta hang on," Jack says in the distance. _

"_Please, sir," Doggie can barely hear Syd. _

"_You have to stay with us," that's Sky. _

"_What will Kat do if you're not here when she wakes up...?"_

That's the last thing he remembers. "How did they get me back?"

"We never lost you," Kat says immediately. She takes in a breath, "we thought we were going to lose you, but you held on, barely."

Doggie blinks slowly, deliberately, "you."

"What?" Kat frowns at him. Her ears lift weakly.

"I remember thinking that I never got to tell you I love you too. I had a promise to keep." Doggie watches Kat smile at him and he finds the strength to smile back.

"Stubborn, old dog," she whispers. She tries to mover her hand to stroke his cheek but he won't let it go. "Doggie, we're okay."

"I know," he rumbles like his old self, "but I don't ever want to let go of this hand."

"You'll have to eventually."

Kat and Doggie turn to Bridge, who leads in the rest of the old B–Squad. They seem worse for the wear, but all right. Jack leans on Z with a crutch for his left leg. Sky has both arms resting in a cloth sling while Syd's right arm is in a splint. They smile at their kids with pride in their eyes. "Congratulations, guardians of Earth."

No one says anything more as they all hug collectively. Most of B–Squad sheds a few tears. The rest of the "infirmary" bustles around them, leaving them to their moment. As they pull away everyone wipes their tears.

"I am serious, though, you do have to let go of her hand," Bridge clears his throat and speaks like his old self. "I have to check your wounds and you can't be holding hands the whole time, as cute as that is."

Doggie lets out a growl he didn't expect but tears his paw from Kat's hand. He dislikes it more than he expected. "What's wrong with me, anyhow?"

"You've got a nasty wound on your torso," Bridge pulls back the sheets to change the bandages. Once he dabs away the lingering blood it's easy to see the mark that shows a wound just short of evisceration. "Grumm got in a pretty good hit."

"No matter," Doggie says to distract from it. He sees in his periphery the girls are talking to Kat, to try and distract her. Her distress at his wounds touches him. "I'll be fine."

"True, you heal like a boss," Bridge, followed by everyone else, chuckles. "Now, Kat, how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Bridge," she smiles, ignoring the throbbing of her head and burning in her shoulder.

"Don't lie to me, Kat," Bridge smiles back. "You got a nasty head wound from taking a shot to the face. Besides that, Broodwing ripped your shoulder clean out of the socket."

Kat smiles at the dangerous growl Doggie lets out, "it's fine."

"I'll see if I can find any pain killers," Bridge holds up a pencil while Kat prepares to protest, "and don't complain, you're the only one here not medicated, as you insisted earlier."

"Kat," Doggie scolds.

"Don't be like that, other people need it more than me," she mumbles back distractedly as she passes her fingers over the scar over her eye. She winces and hisses at the feeling but keeps feeling around the area. When she pulls her hand back there's clotted blood between her fingers.

"I healed it, just before I blacked out," Doggie tells her. She looks at him, eyes, fearful and close to devastated.

"After he knocked out we were able to stabilize you both," Bridge cuts in. "It was weird, but your pulses synced up, so when Kat's found a steady rhythm, so did yours."

"Makes sense," Doggie mumbles vaguely, not bothering to illustrate why.

"We tried to separate you but it just wasn't happening," Jack chuckles a little.

"I tried to get your hands apart and I swear you'd need a crowbar," says Z.

"Or the jaws of life," Syd smiles.

"We all tried to get you apart," Sky gestures around with one of his hands in the sling.

"Like I said, it just wasn't going to happen," Bridge shakes his head, "so we set you up in beds next to each other and it seemed to pacify you. That being said, are you sure you're not telepathic or something?—'cause whenever I went near one of you the other would stir."

"That also makes sense," Doggie mumbles again, still not explaining.

"I guess you spend enough time with another person," Syd trails off as happily as she has in months, now.

"I guess so," Bridge notes on the clipboard in his hands, though all really writes is 'don't touch Kat if Commander is cranky'. "You guys have been out for almost a day, now."

"What's happened?" Kat asks immediately.

"It didn't take us long to take control of base again. Omni's center is being torn apart and we're reestablishing all over town. All of our sectors are going through maintenance and reconstruction." Bridge turns from the window and the setting sun back to them, "hell is finally over. We really do have our home back."

"Home," Kat sighs and feels Doggie take her hand again.

"Come on!" Bridge blurts in his typical fashion. It's nice to see it back, really. "I just got you two apart!"

"Oh, hush up," Z places a hand on his shoulder. "They've been through a lot, I'm sure they want to snuggle on up and enjoy the peace."

"Yeah, I mean, they've been sleeping together for the past month anyway," Syd puts in.

"What?" Doggie growls.

"How do you know that?" Kat asks rather, more concerned with how they know it than denying it.

"On recovery, everyone in your sector is fine, and they said they cleared out," Sydney holds up quotation marks as best she can with her injured arm, "your room."

"It was more an office in a mineral deposit," Kat mutters, "where we happened to sleep...together."

"On a bed of dirt," Z affirms. "A cadet dropped off that."

Kat turns to her left (a direction in which she has not looked at all since she woke) and sees her flower. She's so happy she could cry; she grins and breathes a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness it's here. I was going to have to go get it tomorrow."

"Yeah, first, you're not getting out of here tomorrow," Bridge shakes his mechanical pencil. "Second: what is it?"

"It's Hope," Kat reaches and places it in her lap, cradling it like her child. The bud sits in the soil, in the cracked coffee mug. The bloom is further developed and is growing other stems. It might be a daisy, soon. "Doggie found it the day we got the satellite uplink working. This flower stands for all the hope we had that got us this far. This flower stands for the hope of Earth."

B–Squad looks on lovingly, smiling sweetly at the flower and the love with which Kat handles it. "Come on, guys, let's let them rest."

Kat smiles at her kids as they leave then looks back down to her flower. "I was afraid it would be lost or killed... "

"You named it Hope?" Doggie smiles.

Kat just nods, "Hope, you, our kids—you're what kept me going."

"It's over, Kat," Doggie kisses her hand.

"I know," she places Hope on the side table and rolls over. "I don't know if I'm entirely comfortable like this."

"Sleeping alone," he agrees with a small smile. She moves over in her bed and he gets in beside her. It doesn't take nearly as much effort as he thought it might. He fits himself to her side perfectly. Kat curls herself into a comfortable ball in his arms, immediately purring in contentment. He strokes her hair – goodness, it's down to her shoulder blades – and nuzzles her. "I love you, Kat."

"I love you too, Doggie," she whispers while smiling. She kisses the lips of his muzzles sweetly. "I guess we really do have the rest of our lives stuck with each other."

"You're not getting rid of me that easy," he can hear his smile in his words.

"Do you remember what I said?" she whispers.

"At the end of the day," he begins.

"We'll be together," she finishes, "one way or another."

"I am glad it's this way," he says humorlessly. "I will not have you put in any more danger, Katherine, not by any hand, nor for my sake."

"I will not leave you, Anubis," Kat retorts firmly. Her hand is on the cheek of his muzzle.

"And I will not have you harmed," he reaffirms just as adamantly.

"I can't live without you, okay, you stubborn, old dog. I can't; I don't know who I'd be or how I'd live." Kat swallows her tears, though a few escape anyway. Doggie licks them off her cheeks and she purrs automatically in response. "I need you here, with me."

"There is nowhere else I'd rather be," he whispers in his gravelly baritone. "I love you, Katherine. I know life, building up from this point, will be hard. If I have you, though...we'll be okay. You're my hope."

Kat strokes his cheek with her thumb, palm still warm against his scales. "You're my soulmate."

"Is the next step to be physical mates?" Doggie jokes, earning a giggle out of her. It's nice to see her laugh again. It's even better for him to see her blush delicately.

"I can't believe you just made a joke," she laughs airily, blushing pink.

"Rest, Katherine," Doggie whispers and lays a kiss on her hair.

"You'll be here," she says as more statement than question.

"I'd like to see them drag me away," he clutches her hand in his paw against his chest.

Kat nuzzles into his chest, head fitted under his muzzle, and purrs herself to sleep. Doggie's solid heartbeat resets itself to match her rhythm as he too is lulled to sleep. They rest together, minds peaceful, for once. There is no need to do night watch, or patrol at dawn. Their serenity is unbroken with the promise of a peaceful tomorrow.

Hope the flower rests beside, ready to continue its life with theirs at the end of the day.


	17. Ranger Games

_Ranger Games_

"I volunteer as tribute!"

I say it loud and clear, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice. It hasn't been heard in years, but it's a clearly recognizable line. We all know what this means, and why it doesn't happen. I have volunteered, not only for my death, but to kill my fellow comrades for sport.

The Ranger Games have arisen, and since the fall of the power rangers in the public's eye, we've been forced to compete in these horrible, mythological games for decades. It didn't matter how many times we'd risked our lives to protect the Earth, or save lives—eventually, the monetary costs outweighed our good. The government declared that it was too damaging to the country, physically and economically, to have power rangers.

"Kat, no!"

I keep my head straight, but I do place a hand on Syd's head as she buries her face in my skirt and begs me not to go. The publicity this moment will get will be a strategic liability if I show weakness. Slowly, I turn myself on autopilot as best I can and whisper to Syd, "sh, little princess. It's okay."

Syd is a girl I've taken in as my own sister. I don't know what happened to her mother, but, presumably, she's alive, just up and abandoned little Sydney in our District. The most likely explanation is her mutation. Most people in District 12: NewTech have them. We're a fairly young district, and most people here suffer from genetic mutations, given our District's dalliance in radioactive chemical engineering. I'm one of those people, really; I was working in a lab when I was first mutated. That's longer ago than you need to know, but the ages for the ranger games is determined by how long you've been a ranger, rather than your actual (not that anyone knows mine). Still, it doesn't matter if you were an auxiliary ranger, or a sub, or whatever. As the Citizens like to say: "Once a ranger, always a ranger".

"You don't have to go for me," Syd cries, her blond hair blowing into her tears. Syd is part of the SPD rangers here, and hasn't been a ranger for very long. I'm not willing to let her go up against some of the older, some of the most experienced fighters of her time.

"It's okay, go find Felix," I say to her as the Citizens drag her off. I see my friend Felix – mutated like me – hold Syd back so she won't run for me again. Steeling myself I stand and head for the stage. A woman named Sheila waits for me there. She's associated with the wild force rangers; she means well, and seems a little flighty and cheery to be part of such a dark sport. Still, I try to give her the benefit of the doubt, even though I feel nothing but hate for everything here.

"Kat Manx," I state my name clearly. All eyes are on me, including Sheila's.

"Well, Miss Manx," Sheila says in a sing–song kind of voice and places her hands on my shoulders. Her long brown hair is contained by a crown of flowers on her head. I think she looks silly. We haven't had flowers in NewTech in decades. "It's very brave to see a volunteer. I don't think District 12 has ever had one before, am I right?"

"Correct," I say evenly, scanning the crowd. I see Syd, held by Felix, and breathe.

"Now, for the boys," Sheila floats over the other side of the stage and plucks out a slip of paper: "Doggie Cruger!"

No, I think to myself. This could be very problematic.

They show Anubis, or Doggie, as he's known. He looks stony in expression, but I can see the terror in his eyes. He's a sweet one, sensitive and really a big softie. That won't bode well for him. Still, he'll come up here, because he has young ones to look after as well. He took in some kids with mutations, same as I did. The trouble is that Doggie and I are kind of old friends.

Again, longer ago than you really need to know, there was a lab in District 12. NewTech Laboratories were on the cutting edge of technology and biochemical design. I was a scientist there. Doggie was our commanding officer. However, one day, there was an incident in the lab, and we were mutated. I became feline, with long, pointed ears, fangs, cat eyes, even some weird spots that showed up, patterning me like a tabby under my clothes. Doggie's mutation was more radical, making him a large canine creature, with blue scales. The workers in my lab remained human looking, thank goodness, but they passed it onto their kids. Most of them died shortly afterwards. That's how Sydney, Sky, and Bridge came to be under mine and Doggie's respective charges. A couple others were taken to other Districts and unable to be found: Elizabeth, Jack.

Doggie and I were the only ones mutated drastically, so we decided to disappear, and let the Citizens believe we had perished, like the rest of our families. Thus, Katherine Serval and Anubis Doberman disappeared in the lab accident. We had no living relatives, so they let it slide. Only one other mutation knows who we are: Piggy, and he rarely shows his face. On the off occasion I do need something from him he keeps his mouth shut about our past. No one else around here is old enough to remember that the explosion was almost a hundred years ago.

So, we continued on, Doggie and I. We eventually undertook the identities of Kat Manx and Doggie Cruger, characters with mysterious circumstances and even more mysterious pasts. It suited us, and we were able to train the NewTech SPD rangers here in District 12. Even Doggie and I became rangers, if only for a brief time, to help. It has been so long that it no longer matters, but the fact that Doggie and I are the only ones to know each other's identities, age, family, real name, makes this complicated. I owe him a debt—one that I am in no position to repay currently.

"What interesting names," Sheila prattles on as Doggie is prodded up to the stage, still looking vaguely ill. "Go on, then, shake hands."

I lock eyes with my old worker. His are a moving, deep blue, just like they were when we were human. Mine are a little greener than they used to be, but still the same, I think. My clawed hand shakes his large, blue paw. I have flashbacks to the day when we used to work together, keeping a professional distance. If I'm entirely honest, I had a bit of a crush on him, but that time is over now. We have more important things to worry about.

"Happy Ranger Games, and remember," Sheila smiles a little too brightly, "once a ranger, always a ranger!"

We're allowed to say goodbye to our families. Syd is the only one I have, although Sky and Bridge also come to see me. They call me the only mother they have. I love them all dearly, and try to stay positive for them. They might not be children, but they're certainly not ready for this. "Remember to stay out of trouble, don't bother the Citizens. Syd, if you use your powers to morph your hands into a metal, you can work, but nothing too dangerous. Don't put your name in any more times, it's not worth it."

I turn to Sky and Bridge, who hug me tightly. "You'll be all right, boys."

"One of you has to come back," Sky says darkly, ever the pragmatic one.

I wish I could tell them we both would, and that we'd all be like a family again. It would be a lie, though, and I'm nothing if not honest. "One of us will."

Bridge looks at me with tears in his eyes. His gloved hands hug me tight and I ruffle his mess of brown hair. He's conflicted. "I don't know what to do, Kat."

"Take care of yourselves, and of each other," I say softly.

"Time's up," a Citizen comes to drag them away.

"It's okay, Syd—Syd!" I try to reach for her but she's whisked from my arms.

Next comes in Felix. He's an old friend of mine, although most think we're supposed to be dating, or something like that. It's a little ridiculous in my mind, not only considering how long I've known him, but also the absurdity of me finding a mate. What would be the point if they were just going to be submitted for the Ranger Games? You don't really get a choice: once a ranger...

"A good show, give them that, that's all they want," says Felix. He's logical like me, and prefers mind power over physical prowess.

"There are 24 of us, and only one comes out," I say to him sternly. There are no tears in my eyes as I speak. This is not the time, and I am not a child. I'm too old for this, really. I might look around 18 but...well, multiply that by about seven...126...that's about my real age.

"It'll be you," he says firmly. He hugs me like a brother would and I let myself relax for a bit. We hear the Citizens stomping to us long before they're at the door.

"Time's up," they say.

"Whatever you do don't let them starve!" I shout to him as he's also dragged out.

Even as we're riding on the train I don't cry. At this point I'm not sure I have it in me to cry. I've been steeled and cold for so long, Syd, Bridge and Sky are usually the only ones who can lighten me up. Felix succeeds on occasion. He and I sell our homemade technologies in the black market once in awhile. He's got enough medicinal knowledge to be a working doctor and I specialize in engineering. Between the two of us, we can usually make a fair living, enough for Syd and I, and Felix and some of the lab workers who survived, but don't want to go out into the human world anymore.

"I'll go find Tommy," Sheila declares, snapping me out of my trance.

I look at Doggie, who remains just as stoic as I do. Probably thinking about his old girlfriend, Isinia. They were engaged back when Doggie was human, but once the accident happened, she didn't take too kindly to it. I wasn't overly fond of her, and it's not for the reason you think; I had nothing to be jealous of, I just didn't like her. She was pretty enough, with dark hair, purplish eyes, but she wasn't very nice—kind of useless, really. As long as I'd known her she was a bit spoiled, couldn't do anything for herself, and obviously shallow enough to dump a good man for his appearance. She was useless enough to get taken away by he Citizens on multiple occasions, only so Doggie would have to risk his neck to bail her out. Like I said, she was useless. Still, he loved her, so I tolerated her. She died almost forty years ago, I think.

"All right," I turn and see Tommy, a veteran ranger. He's one of the originals, and was a ranger since then, too. He trains new rangers coming into the Ranger Games, now. "So, you're the mutts they've brought in for this round?—no offense."

Doggie nods stiffly at the poor attempt of a joke. I look at him, then back to Tommy. He seems dark, tired, cynical, and everything else I associate with these events. I can't blame him, of course. I'd be tired and dark too if I had done this as many times as he has. "What's the plan?"

"What?" he looks at Doggie, squinting. "Relax, kid, focus on that later."

Doggie and I share a look as Tommy rubs his forehead and seems to settle in for a nap. Irritated, I slash my claws into the wooden arms of he chair to get his attention. He jumps, and I register that Sheila is distraught in the background, claiming this wood is mahogany. I don't see what it matters. "He asked you what the plan was."

"What do you mean, plan?" Tommy looks at me sarcastically, eyes half lidded.

"How do we stay alive," I enunciate slowly and harshly, as if talking to a goat.

"Be," Tommy leans in, "likeable! All they want is a good show...Princess."


End file.
